Sig  Lipman  Memorial  Library 


UNIVERSITY    RELIGIOUS 
CONFERENCE     HOUSE 

WESTWOOD 


PAPERS 


OF    THE 


JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 


189?. 


PHILADELPHIA : 

THE  JEWISH  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA, 

1894. 


Copyright, 

THB   JEWISH  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA, 
1894. 


Stack 
Annex 

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INTRODUCTION. 


When  the  World's  Fair  Congress  Auxiliary  was  organ- 
ized, it  was  determined  that,  among  the  other  congresses, 
a  Parliament  of  Religions  should  be  held.  The  Parlia- 
ment consisted  of  a  General  Parliament  of  all  religions 
and  of  denominational  Congresses.  The  General  Com- 
mittee on  Religious  Parliament  was  composed  of  two 
branches,  one  the  men's,  the  other  the  women's  com- 
mittee. It  consisted  of  representatives  of  every  denom- 
ination, appointed  by  Mr.  C.  C.  Bonney,  president  of  the 
Auxiliary,  and  Mrs.  Charles  Henrotin,  vice-president  of 
the  woman's  branch.  By  virtue  of  this  appointment, 
they  became  the  chairmen  of  their  respective  denomi- 
national committees,  with  power  to  make  up  the  com- 
mittee. At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Jewish  Women's 
Committee,  it  was  decided  to  work  along  the  lines 
adopted  by  the  other  committees.  The  Committee  also 
decided  to  collect  and  publish  the  traditional  melodies 
of  the  Jews  as  a  souvenir  of  the  occasion.  In  order  to 
arouse  the  interest  in  the  Jewish  Congress  and  the  souve- 
nir, notices  were  issued  to  all  Jewish  publications,  invit- 
ing the  co-operation  of  all  persons  interested. 

Circular  letters  were  sent  to  the  larger  cities,  asking 
Jewish  women  to  hold  mass  meetings  to  elect  delegates. 
This  measure  was  more  successful  than  had  been  antici- 
pated, twenty-nine  cities  being  represented  by  ninety- 
three  delegates.  An  extensive  correspondence  was 
carried  on  with  Jewish  men  and  women  of  this  country 
and  England,  no  less  than  two  thousand  letters  having 
been  written  and  received  by  the  members  of  the  Com- 
mittee. 

(3) 


4  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

The  Programme  Committee  obtained  subjects  for 
papers  from  many  sources,  also  names  of  women  to  write 
them.  It  was  no  easy  task  to  arrange  the  programme 
and  choose  the  essayists.  It  was  found  that  every  sec- 
tion of  the  country  could  be  represented,  and  the  com- 
mittee, in  every  instance,  was  fortunate  in  its  choice  of 
essayists.  Two  representatives  were  chosen  to  present 
papers  in  the  General  Parliament.  The  Committee  was 
equally  fortunate  in  interesting  the  Rev.  Wm.  Sparger, 
of  New  York,  and  the  Rev.  Alois  Kaiser,  of  Baltimore, 
in  the  work  necessary  for  the  souvenir.  These  gentle- 
men gave  their  services  without  compensation,  and 
owing  to  their  able  efforts,  as  well  as  to  those  of  the 
conscientious  publisher,  Mr.  L.  Rubovits,  the  Jewish 
Women's  Congress  has  a  souvenir  of  which  it  may 
justly  be  proud.  Dr.  Cyrus  Adler  kindly  consented  to 
write  the  introduction. 

The  Congress  itself  was  a  great  success,  arousing  the 
interest  of  Jews  and  Christians  alike.  The  room  origi- 
nally intended  for  the  sessions  was  found  inadequate 
to  hold  the  audience,  and  the  larger  room  chosen  was 
at  all  times  too  small.  At  the  Wednesday  evening 
session,  it  was  necessary  to  hold  an  overflow-meeting, 
the  overflow  completely  filling  another  large  hall.  The 
meeting  was,  in  every  respect,  satisfactory.  The 
question  of  religious  persecution  was  thoroughly  dis- 
cussed, in  the  manner  and  spirit  hoped  for  by  the  Com- 
mittee. The  discussion  was  noteworthy,  because  Jewsr 
Catholics  and  Protestants  were  animated  by  the  same 
desire  to  battle  in  the  cause  of  liberty  of  conscience. 
The  influence  of  the  Congress  is,  however,  not  to  be 
measured  by  the  size  of  its  audiences,  nor  by  the  merits 
of  its  papers.  Its  chief  result  is  that  it  brought  together, 
from  all  parts  of  the  country,  East,  West  and  South, 
women  interested  in  their  religion,  following  similar 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

lines  of  work,  and  sympathetic  in  ways  of  thought,  and 
was  instrumental  in  cementing  friendships  between  them. 
Its  outcome  is  a  National  Organization,  and  its  use  was 
to  prove  to  the  world  that  Israel's  women,  like  women 
of  other  faiths,  are  interested  in  all  that  tends  to  bring 
men  nearer  together  in  every  movement  affecting  the 
welfare  of  mankind. 

HANNAH  G.  SOLOMON,  Chairman. 


PROGRAMME. 

MONDAY,  September  4,  10  a.  m. 

PRAYER,         .....    RAY  FRANK,  Oakland,  Cal. 
ADDRESS,        ....     ELLEN  M.  HENROTIN, 

Vice- President  of  the  World's  Congress  Auxiliary. 
ADDRESS,  ....  HANNAH  G.  SOLOMON,  Chairman. 
POEM,  "  White  Day  of  Peace,"  .  .  .  MIRIAM  DEI,  BANCO. 

PAPER,  "  Jewish  Women  of  Biblical  and  Mediaeval  Times," 

LOUISE  MANNHEIMER,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
PAPER,  "Jewish  Women  of  Modern  Days," 

HELEN  KAHN  WEIL,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
HENRIETTA  G.  FRANK,  Chicago,  III. 
DISCUSSION,        .         .         •)  DR.  K.  KOHLER,  New  York. 

DR.  E.  G.  HIRSCH,  Chicago,  III. 


TUESDAY,  September  5,  9.30  a.  m. 

PAPER,  "  Woman  in  the  Synagogue, "  .  RAY  FRANK,  Oakland,  Cal. 
DISCUSSION,  ....  DR.  I.  S.  MOSES,  Chicago,  III. 
PAPER,  "  Influence  of  the  Discovery  of  America  on  the  Jews," 

PAULINE  H.  ROSENBERG,  Allegheny,  Pa. 
(  ESTHER  WITKOWSKI,  Chicago,  III. 
DISCUSSION,      .          .      I  MARY  NEWBURY  ADAMS,  Dubuque,  Iowa- 

TUESDAY,  September  5,  2.30  p.  m. 

PAPER,  "Women  as  Wage-Workers,  with  Special  Reference 

to  Directing  Immigrants,"  JULIA  RICHMAN,  New  York. 

(  SADIE  G.  LEOPOLD,  Chicago,  III. 

3N|  I  JESSIE  BROSS  LLOYD,  Chicago,  III. 

PAPER,  "Influence  of  the  Jewish  Religion  in  the  Home," 

MARY  M.  COHEN,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
(  JULIA  I.  FELSENTHAL,  Chicago,  III. 
DISCUSSION,     .         .          .  -j  ISABELLA  BEECHER  HOOKER. 

(.  ADA  CHAPMAN,  Dallas,  Texas. 


WEDNESDAY,  September  6,  9.30  a.  m. 
POEM,  "  Israel  to  the  World  in  Greeting,"   .    CORA  WILBURN, 

Marshfield,  Mass. 
PAPER,  "  Charity  as  Taught  by  the  Mosaic  Code," 

EVA  L.  STERN,  New  York. 
(6) 


PROGRAMME.  7 

PAPER,  "  Woman's  Place  in  Charitable  Work  ;  What  it  is,  and 

What  it  should  be, "  CARRIE  S.  BENJAMIN,  Denver,  Col. 

f  GOLDIE  BAMBER,  Boston,  Mass. 

DISCUSSION,  .  •   I  R.  W.  NAVRA,  New  Orleans,  La. 

WEDNESDAY,  September  6,  8.30  p.  m. 

ADDRESS, CHAIRMAN. 

PRESENTATION  OF  HYMN  BOOK,    .          .          .  EMMA  FRANK. 

PAPER,  "  Mission  Work  Among  the  Unenlightened  Jews/' 

MINNIE  D.  Louis,  New  York. 

DISCUSSION,     ....       REBEKAH  KOHUT,  New  York. 
PAPER,  "  How  can  Nations  be  Influenced  to  Protest  or  even 

Interfere  in  Cases  of  Persecution,"  LAURA  JACOBSON,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
LiLUE  HIRSHFIELD,  New  York. 
ARCHBISHOP  IRELAND,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 
WIIJJAM  ONAHAN,  Chicago,  III. 


DISCUSSION, 


PROF.  CHAS.  ZEUBWN,  Chicago,  III. 

THE  REV.  JENKINS  LLOYD  JONES,  Chicago,  III. 

DR.  E.  G.  HIRSCH,  Chicago,  III. 

THE  REV.  IDA  G.  HUI/TIN,  Chicago,  III. 


THURSDAY,  September  7,  9.30  a.  m. 

REPORTS,        .        .        . 

PAPER,  "Organization,"      .          .     SADIE  AMERICAN,  Chicago,  III. 

BUSINESS  MEETING,  ....... 


PAPERS  read  before  the  Religious  Parliament  under  the  Auspices  of 
the  Committee  of  the  Jewish  Women's  Congress. 

SEPTEMBER  16. 

PAPER,  "The  Outlook  of  Judaism,"  JOSEPHINE  LAZARUS,  New  York. 

SEPTEMBER  21. 
PAPER,  "What  Judaism  has  done  for  Woman," 

HENRIETTA  SZOLD,  Baltimore,  Md. 


MONDAY,  SEPTEMBER  4,  1893,  10  A.  M. 


PRAYER. 


RAY  FRANK,  OAKLAND, 


Almighty  God,  Creator  and  Ruler  of  the  universe, 
through  Whose  justice  and  mercy  this  first  convention 
of  Jewish  women  has  been  permitted  to  assemble, 
accept  our  thanks,  and  hearken,  O  lyord,  to  our  prayer. 

In  times  past,  when  storms  of  cruel  persecution  drove 
us  toward  the  reefs  of  adversity,  seemingly  overwhelmed 
by  misfortune,  we  had  faith  in  Thee  and  Thy  works, 
ever  trusting  and  believing  that  Thou  ordainest  all 
things  well.  Because  of  this  faith,  we  feel  that  Thou 
hast,  in  the  course  of  events,  caused  this  glorious  con- 
gress to  convene,  that  it  may  give  expression  to  that 
which  shall  spread  broadcast  a  knowledge  of  Thee  and 
Thy  deeds. 

Grant,  then,  Thy  blessing  upon  those  assembled,  and 
upon  the  object  of  their  meeting.  May  the  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances, which  have  brought  together,  under  one 
roof,  both  Catholic  and  Jew,  who,  for  centuries,  have 
been  seeking  to  serve  Thee,  though  in  different  ways,  be 
a  promise  of  future  peace.  Grant,  we  beseech  Thee, 
that  this  convention  may  be  productive  of  that  which  is 
in  accordance  with  Thy  will. 

Bless,  O  Lord,  this  our  country  and  the  President 
thereof,  and  all  the  people  of  the  land.  May  love  and 
peace  be  the  heritage  of  men,  to  remain  with  them  for- 
ever. Amen. 

(8) 


ADDRESS. 


M.  HENROTIN,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 


In  Chicago,  to-day,  in  this  young,  so-called  "  material- 
istic World-City,"  the  representatives  of  the  religion 
which  has  had  the  greatest  influence  over  the  creeds  of 
modern  civilization  are  gathered  together.  If  a  glorious 
past  can  insure  a  glorious  future,  then  this  parliament 
of  Jewish  women  is  moving  on  to  a  great  triumph. 

To  what  other  race  of  women  has  it  been  given  to 
inspire  the  spiritual  ideals,  not  alone  of  its  own  people, 
but  of  the  entire  civilized  world?  To  them,  the  arts 
and  literature  have  turned  for  inspiration,  until  the  type 
of  character  and  of  beauty  of  the  Jewess  is  cosmopolitan, 
and  surrounded  with  a  halo  of  mysterious  beauty,  and 
now  the  spirit  of  association  has  come  to  them — the 
greatest  modern  factor,  "working  for  righteousness." 
Dr.  Stevenson,  in  her  address  to  the  General  Federation 
of  Women's  Clubs,  said  that  the  "  Brotherhood  of  man 
can  only  come  through  the  Sisterhood  of  Woman  " — a 
profound  truth,  and  every  day  that  sisterhood  is  enlarg- 
ing, and  is  permeating  society. 

The  great  number  assembled  in  response  to  the  call  of 
the  committee  testifies  to  the  universality  of  sentiment 
on  this  point  among  Jewish  women.  That  this  meeting 
may  result  in  a  national  organization  is  my  earnest 
desire. 

I  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing,  as  the  permanent 
presiding  officer  of  the  Congress,  Mrs.  Hannah  Solomon, 
to  whose  courage,  energy  and  devotion  the  success  of 
this  Congress  will  be  due. 

(9) 


ADDRESS. 


HANNAH  G.  SOLOMON,  Chairman. 


It  is  iny  pleasant  duty,  as  chairman  of  the  local  com- 
mittee, to  extend  to  you  all  a  hearty  welcome  to  our  city 
and  to  our  Congress,  the  first  Jewish  Women's  Congress.  It 
was  with  some  misgiving  that  I  accepted  a  position  on  the 
general  committee  on  Parliament  of  Religions,  realizing 
that  it  was  a  new  departure  for  the  Jewish  woman  to 
occupy  herself  with  matters  pertaining  to  religion.  But 
I  felt  that  in  the  Parliament  of  Religions,  where  women 
of  all  creeds  were  represented,  the  Jewish  woman  should 
have  a  place.  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  secure  a  com- 
mittee thoroughly  in  sympathy  with  me,  all  its  members 
believing  that,  on  an  occasion  on  which  women  and  men 
of  all  creeds  are  realizing  that  the  ties  that  bind  us  are 
stronger  than  the  differences  that  separate,  that  when 
the  world  is  giving  to  Israel  the  liberty,  long  withheld, 
of  taking  its  place  among  all  religions,  to  teach  the 
truths  it  holds,  for  the  benefit  of  man  and  the  glory  of 
the  Creator,  the  place  of  the  Jewish  woman  should  not 
be  vacant.  I  need  not  say  that  the  work  has  been  great, 
and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  I  look  back  upon  the  harmo- 
nious, efficient  work  of  the  committee.  The  only  fault 
I  might  find  is  the  too  great  enthusiasm  shown  and  the 
confidence  with  which  I  was  honored,  causing  me  "  to 
rush,  where  angels  feared  to  tread."  I  am  sure  that  the 
committee  will  always  look  back  upon  our  work  for  the 
Congress  with  much  pleasure,  the  sangfroid  with  which 
we  treated  Roberts'  rules  resulting  in  tatters  of  parlia- 

(10) 


ADDRESS — SOLOMON.  n 

mentary  law  which  we  shall  treasure  as  trophies.  And 
to  the  women  of  other  cities,  as  well  as  of  our  own,  who 
so  earnestly  seconded  our  efforts,  I  extend  our  sin- 
cere thanks.  To  the  women  of  the  general  committee 
on  Religious  Parliament,  representing  all  sects  and 
creeds,  our  appreciation  is  due  for  the  interest  they  have 
always  felt  in  our  work.  Could  the  good-will  enter- 
tained for  each  other  by  the  members  of  the  general 
committee  be  disseminated  in  the  entire  world,  there 
would  be  no  need  of  a  Parliament  of  Religions  ;  for  each 
was  desirous  not  merely  to  be  just,  but  generous,  in  her 
treatment  of  others.  I  hope  the  same  spirit  may  char- 
acterize all  the  congresses.  To  the  women  at  the  head 
of  the  Exposition,  all  women  owe  homage.  The  Presi- 
dent and  the  Vice-President  of  the  Woman's  Branch  of 
the  Auxiliary  must  ever  pose  as  goddesses  of  liberty  for 
the  women  of  our  century,  the  one  in  material,  the  other 
in  spiritual  things,  gaining  for  all  women  the  full  privi- 
lege of  exercising  their  talents  and  capabilities.  Our 
papers  are  not  intended  to  startle  the  world  as  literary 
efforts,  but  we  wish  seriously  to  consider  problems  that 
are  to  be  solved,  in  order  to  help  along  the  great  work 
of  bringing  men  nearer  together,  to  be  co-workers  in  a 
world  requiring  the  best  efforts  of  all. 

In  our  "  Souvenir,"  a  collection  of  the  traditional 
songs  of  our  people,  we  pay  our  tribute  to  the  work  and 
worth  of  those  of  our  faith  who  have  lived  and  suffered, 
making  it  possible  for  us  to  have  our  faith  in  this  land 
of  liberty.  We  pay  our  tribute  to  the  traditions  of  the 
past,  which  were  dear  to  our  forefathers,  who,  however 
oppressed  and  unhappy,  sang  these  songs.  They  were 
their  staff  and  their  stay.  From  the  Ghetto  they 
resounded,  they  raised  them  to  a  spiritual  plane  which 
no  walls  could  encompass.  Chanting  the  prayers  and 
singing  the  songs  uplifted  them,  so  that  they  forgot 


12  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

their  misery.  And  we  in  this  land  of  liberty  and  pros- 
perity, in  this  Columbian  era,  should  not  forget  the 
deeper  tones  struck  in  days  of  adversity.  •  We  have  not 
merely  tried  to  publish  a  book,  but  we  wished  to  pre- 
serve our  traditions.  Living,  as  we  do,  in  this  renegade 
city,  belonging  to  radical  congregations,  thoroughly  in 
sympathy  with  all  endeavors  to  break  down  barriers,  we 
are  loyal  to  our  faith,  to  our  history  and  to  the  traditions 
of  our  families.  In  this  sense,  as  a  tribute  to  the  past, 
we  give  our  book  to  our  co-religionists. 

To  those  who  are  not  of  our  faith,  to  many  of  whom 
we  are  bound  by  ties  of  love  and  friendship,  as  strong  as 
those  of  faith,  we  bid  a  hearty  welcome,  and  invite  them 
to  take  part  in  our  discussions  and  be  frank  with  us. 
Perhaps,  in  this  wise,  we  may  overcome  some  of  the 
inherited  prejudices  unfavorable  to  us,  and  if  we  cannot 
gain  sympathy,  we  may  at  least  command  respect.  To 
our  delegates,  we  extend  a  special  greeting.  We  expected 
to  arouse  interest,  but  the  response  has  exceeded  our 
fondest  expectations. 

And  let  us,  above  all  things,  remember  that  we  are 
children  of  many  mothers,  that  we  have  different  points 
of  view,  different  methods  of  reasoning.  Let  us  be  just 
to  each  other,  give  to  each  one  the  same  patient  hearing 
that  we  ask  for  ourselves.  Let  those  of  us  who  have 
orthodox  views,  believe  that  the  radical  views  may  be  as 
sincere  as  our  own;  those  of  us  who  are  radical,  believe 
the  others  just  as  honest  as  ourselves,  so  that  harmony 
and  peace  may  mark  our  going  as  our  coming. 


WHITE  DAY  OF  PEACE. 
MIRIAM  DEI,  BANCO,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 

Heard  ye  the  golden  bells  of  peace  that  angels  softly  sway, 
When,  on  the  skies  of  progress,  dawns  the  rose  of  freedom's  day  ? 
Heard    ye  the  winds — the  sweet,   soft  winds — that,   through    the 

scented  air, 

Swept  o'er  our  boundless  prairies  lite  a  whispered  voice  in  pra3~er  ? 
O,  heard  ye  not  above  the  waves  that  swell  time's  rushing  tide, 
A  voice  that  to  the  ages  like  a  silver  clarion  cried: 
"  White  day  of  peace  !  by  Toleration  crowned  and  glorified  !" 

O  day  divine. !  no  industry  alone  thy  kiss  may  claim, 

No  single  art  or  science  bear  the  impress  of  thy  name, 

No  order  trail  its  garlands  through  the  splendor  of  thy  hours, 

No  nation  wave  its  banners  'mid  thy  sunshine  and  thy  flowers; 

All  mankind — all  the  sons  of  earth  thy  countless  ranks  increase; 

Their  lips  proclaim,  in  ringing  tones  whose  echoes  ne'er  shall  cease, 

A  congress  of  religions — God's  great  festival  of  peace. 

But  why,  'mid  all  this  gleam  and  glow,  shines  the  Menorah's  fire  ? 
Why  throb  through  every  festal  strain  the  notes  of  David's  lyre  ? 
Why  from  the  silken  scroll  resounds  the  tinkling  silver  bell  ? 
Why  gather  with  rejoicings  loud  the  sons  of  Israel  ? 
The  quaint  old  Hebrew  blessings  of  their  fathers  everywhere 
Seem  mingled  with  Joy's  dimpled  laugh  and  Gratitude's  low  prayer, 
And  blend  like  murmured  music  on  the  flower-laden  air. 

Four  centuries  look  back  upon  a  time  when  sunny  Spain 

Tore  from  her  heart  the  bleeding  child  of  misery  and  pain; 

Rent  tie  and  tendril  from  the  graves  and  altars  of  his  sires; 

His  sacred  home,  his  golden  fields  laid  low  in  smouldering  fires; 

Then,  turning  on  the  hated  Jew  with  torture-racking  hand, 

She  hunted  him  from  hill  and  vale  and  silver-gleaming  strand; 

And — "  sorrow's  crown  of  sorrow  " — robbed  him  of  his  fatherland  ! 

Then  floated  over  earth  once  more  that  cry  of  mortal  pain 
Whose  mem'ry  steals  not  only  from  the  scented  vales  of  Spain; 
From  Russia's  steppes,  from  Bucharest,  from  England's  daisied  sod, 
That  cry  of  tortured  Israel  has  swept  aloft  to  God; 
And  now  it  trailed  its  pain  upon  the  ocean's  silver  crest, 
And  e'en  the  dark-blue  waters  spoke  of  tumult  and  unrest, 
Yet  drifted  toward  the  pearly  gates  that  bar  the  sunset  west. 

(13) 


14  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Ah,  gazing  from  some  lonely  deck,  up  through  the  silent  air, 
Unconscious  of  the  answer  to  his  supplicating  prayer, 
The  weary  exile  heeded  not  as,  toward  the  western  sky, 
Three  white- winged  ships — God's    messengers — went  slowly  sail- 
ing by; 

Sailed  toward  the  line  where  sunset  veils  of  gold  and  violet 
Concealed  an  infant  world  that  dreamed  in  dewy  verdure  yet, 
Ere  broke  that  dawning  freedom's  day  whose  sun  has  never  set. 

O  bright  New  World,  within  thine  arms  the  wanderer  found  rest; 
The  scourged  and  outlawed  one  revived,  clasped  to  thy  throbbing 

breast, 
Clasped  to  thy  heart,  where  hope's  white  bloom,  picked  fresh  from 

freedom's  sod, 

Bore  on  its  breath  the  exile's  prayer  of  gratitude  to  God. 
With  thee,  his  manhood's  sacred  rights  he  dared  once  more  to 

claim, 

With  thee,  he  dared  once  more  to  breathe  Jehovah's  holy  name, 
To  hold  aloft  the  lamp  of  truth,  and  feed  its  living  flame. 

And  thus,  of  all  who  in  the  light  of  thy  protection  dwell, 
None  clings  to  thee  with  deeper  love  than  grateful  Israel; 
The  heart  from  which  the  first  grand  cry  for  freedom  sprang  to 

life, 
And  thrilled  the  world,  beats  close  to  thine,  in  days  of  peace  and 

strife; 

Its  pure  devotion  to  thy  cause  no  stain,  no  blemish  mars; 
And  though  he  bears  or  may  not  bear  the  soldier's  honored  scars, 
None  than  the  Jew  more  loyally  defends  thy  stripes  and  stars. 

For  thee  he  strives  each  day  to  prove  man's  brotherhood  to  man, 

For  thee  he  seeks  the  scholar's  fame,  the  crown  of  artisan; 

The  prophet's  wisdom,  David's  gift,  Spinoza's  thought  sublime, 

And  Heine's  art  and  Mendelssohn's,  through  Israel,  are  thine; 

Yea,  every  heart  its  tribute  brings,  its  love  forevermore; — 

None  can  forget  the  voice  whose  call  once  thrilled  from  shore  to 

shore: 
"Ye  outcast,  scourged  and  weary  ones,  lo,  enter  at  my  door  !" 

And  therefore  in  this  gleam  and  glow  shines  the  Menorah's  fire 
While  echo  through  each  festal  strain  the  notes  of  David's  lyre; 
Sweet  Nature  lifts  her  floral  horn  the  notes  of  peace  to  swell 
That  float  from  every  happy  heart  in  grateful  Israel. 
The  hilltops  are  aglow  with  light;  and  hark,  from  far  away, 
Float  dreamily  the  chimes  of  bells  that  unseen  angels  sway; 
'Tis  Toleration's  jubilee — her  white-robed  festal  day  ! 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  BIBLICAL  AND  OF 
MEDIEVAL  TIMES. 


LOUISE  MANNHEIMER,  CINCINNATI,  O. 


To  be  called  upon  to  speak  in  these  halls,  where  the 
giants  in  the  realm  of  learning  assemble  from  week  to 
week  to  give  their  best  thoughts  to  the  world,  brings  to 
my  mind  the  words  of  the  men  whom  Moses  sent  to  spy 
out  the  promised  land.  They  said:  "We  saw  there 
giants,  the  sous  of  Anak,  and  we  were  in  our  own  eyes 
as  grasshoppers,  and  so  were  we  in  their  eyes."  But 
Caleb  and  Joshua  were  not  afraid,  for  they  trusted  in  the 
Lord.  So  even  I  will  not  be  afraid,  and  put  my  trust  in 
the  Eternal. 

The  history  of  the  women  of  the  Bible,  like  all  his- 
torical writings,  can  be  approached  in  three  ways;  either 
one  accepts  all  the  data  unhesitatingly,  with  childlike 
faith,  or  by  extensive  reading  and  comparing  of  original 
texts,  one  strives  to  arrive  at  critical  conclusions  as  to 
the  facts,  or  by  reading  and  re-reading  the  Bible,  time 
and  again,  with  earnest  and  absorbing  zeal,  one  acquires 
the  ability  to  grasp  the  deeper  underlying  meaning  of 
the  outward  forms  and  to  trace  the  psychological  causes 
of  the  acts  and  deeds. 

Very  few  women  are  in  the  happy  position  to  have 
the  required  opportunities  or  even  the  necessary  time  for 
the  studies  which  alone  can  enable  one  to  arrive  at  inde- 
pendent, critical  conclusions,  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
it  is  pre-eminently  woman  who,  when  she  does  read  the 
Bible,  reads  it,  as  it  were,  with  her  heart. 

(15) 


16  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

This  it  is  which  enables  her  to  recognize  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Eternal  in  the  still  small  voice  of  history,  to 
find  the  guiding  hand  of  Jehovah  in  every  historical 
event,  as  well  as  in  the  events  in  the  life  of  each  indi- 
vidual. She  feels  the  pangs  which  are  the  source  of 
tears  to  desolate  Zion,  and  Zion's  joy  brings  a  happy 
smile  to  her  face. 

Through  this  deep  sympathy,  she  is  enabled  to  trace 
to  their  very  sources  the  manifestations  of  the  hidden 
emotions  and  energies  of  soul  and  mind,  and  to  enlarge 
the  scant  but  suggestive  material  which  the  Scriptures 
supply  in  regard  to  the  history  of  "  The  Women  of  the 
Bible." 

As  a  clear  brook  reflects  the  objects  on  its  banks, 
without  enhancing  their  beauty  or  obliterating  their 
defects,  so  does  the  Bible  delineate  the  recorded  charac- 
ters without  exaggerating  their  virtues  or  concealing 
their  shortcomings. 

The  Women  of  the  Bible !  what  graceful  forms, 
imbued  with  all  that  is  good  and  noble,  surrounded  by  the 
wonderful  beauty  of  Oriental  scenery,  rise  at  these  words 
before  our  mind,  out  of  the  gray  mist  of  the  hoary  past ! 

In  the  multitude  of  types  of  maidenly  loveliness, 
womanly  beauty  and  matronly  dignity,  there  are 
three  groups  which  especially  claim  our  attention 
and  admiration. 

These  are  not  ideals,  standing  high  above  the  level  of 
human  nature,  to  whom  we  can  only  look  up  with  rev- 
erential awe,  as  if  they  were  beings  of  a  higher  order 
who  are  beyond  our  comprehension — by  no  means. 

We  need  but  look  into  our  own  hearts  to  understand 
their  impulses;  we  must  but  heed  the  longings  of  our 
own  souls  to  comprehend  their  aspirations. 

The  three  prominent  groups  among  the  women  of  the 
Bible,  of  whom  this  paper  can  give  but  a  short  sketch  on 


WOMEN  OF  BIBLICAL  TIMES — MANNHEIMER.         17 

account  of  the  limited  time,  are,  the  Mothers  in  Israel, 
the  Prophetesses  in  Israel,  and  the  women  who  solved 
the  problem  of  the  proper  sphere  of  woman's  activity  in 
Israel  at  this  early  historical  time. 

The  Mothers  in  Israel !  There  is  no  title  of  honor 
which  through  all  the  generations  of  the  adherents  of 
Mosaic  Law  was  more  revered  than  this  sweet,  blessed 
name  of  "  mother  "  and  justly  so,  for  what  watchful  care, 
what  tender  devotion,  what  self-sacrificing  love  are 
expressed  in  the  name  by  which  Sarah,  Rebecca  and 
Rachel  are  distinguished ! 

Sarah,  the  Bible  shows  us  at  once,  in  her  womanly 
dignity,  the  faithful  friend  and  companion  of  her  hus- 
band Abraham,  in  whose  soul  dawned  the  great  light  of 
the  world,  the  conception  of  the  one  and  only  God. 
The  perfect  confidence  Abraham  puts  in  Sarah  on  all 
occasions  proves  that  she  must  have  had  a  clear  under- 
standing of  his  great  mission. 

A  promise  of  great  blessing  and  an  abundance  of 
earthly  possessions  is  hers,  still  she  remains  modest  and 
active,  for  lo !  three  strangers  pass,  and  Abraham  desires 
them  to  partake  of  his  hospitality.  He  does  not  call  his 
young  men,  nor  the  hand-maids,  but  he  calls  Sarah,  the 
princess,  the  honored  mistress  of  the  house,  and  she 
kneads  the  dough,  and  she  bakes  the  cakes.  What  a 
grand  lesson  in  this  simple  narrative  ! 

We  can  trace  Sarah's  kind  and  motherly  disposition 
in  her  solicitude  for  Lot.  We  find  written:  "  And 
Sarah  sent  Eliezer  to  inquire  after  the  welfare  of  Lot."* 
Lot  had  separated  himself  from  Abraham,  in  whose 
house  he  had  been  "brought  up  like  a  son;  he  did  not 
send  to  inquire  after  the  welfare  of  his  foster-parents, 
nor  did  Abraham  show,  by  any  outward  sign,  that  he 


*Dr.  B.  Beer  "  Leben  Abrahams." 
2 


1 8  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

missed  Lot,  but  Sarah  felt  more  than  the  others  the  sep- 
aration, for  her  heart  hungered  for  the  love  of  a  child. 

After  years  of  unwavering  faith,  the  long  deferred 
hope  was  realized.  Isaac,  the  promised  of  God,  had 
been  given  them,  and  now  behold  the  God-fearing  parents 
endeavor  to  prove  themselves  worthy  of  the  happiness 
the  Eternal  has  granted  them. 

Wide  open  are  the  portals  of  their  house  to  the  poor 
and  the  needy;  those  that  hunger  partake  of  food,  and 
the  needy  ones  are  supplied  with  the  necessaries  of  life. 
If  any  of  the  grateful  ones  wish  to  thank  them,  they 
answer:  "  Thank  the  Eternal  who  created  all  things; 
all  we  receive  belongs  to  Him." 

The  first  moral  lesson  to  humanity  was  given  by 
Abraham  and  Sarah.  To  feed  the  hungry,  to  give  rai- 
ment to  the  needy,  to  speak  kindly  to  the  unfortunate, 
to  act  justly  toward  all  mankind,  and  to  be  grateful  to 
the  Eternal — this  is  what  Abraham  taught  to  his  house- 
hold, and  what  Sarah  put  into  practice. 

Rebecca  at  the  well,  in  childlike  simplicity  and  charm- 
ing kindness  filling  the  trough  for  the  camels,  after  hav- 
ing quenched  the  thirst  of  the  stranger,  what  an  attrac- 
tive picture  !  Just  as  attractive  as  when,  on  seeing  her 
future  husband  in  the  field,  she  alights  from  the  camel 
in  gentle  deference,  and  covers  herself  with  her  veil  in 
modest  dignity.  Rebecca  combines  all  the  sweet  traits 
which  arise  from  a  generous  heart,  whose  quick  impulses 
are  balanced  by  an  understanding  mind. 

In  the  house  of  Abraham  she  learned  to  believe  and 
trust  in  the  Eternal,  and  so  firm  and  strong  grew  her 
faith  that  she  is  the  first  woman  in  Israel  of  whom  it  is 
written:  "  In  her  distress  she  asked  the  Lord,  and  the 
Lord  answered  her." 

An  earnest  and  trusting  prayer  is  sure  to  be  answered 
even  to-day  as  of  yore,  but  where  the  prayers  are  only 


WOMEN  OF  BIBUCAI,  TIMES — MANNHEIMER.        19 

recited,  it  is  done  so  euphoniously  that  our  ear  is  filled 
with  the  euphony  of  the  sounds,  and  cannot  hear  any- 
thing else.  Rebecca's  one  failing,  her  partiality  to 
her  younger  son,  bore  the  seed  of  bitter  fruit  for  her- 
self. By  the  endeavor  to  secure  Esau's  blessing  for 
Jacob,  she  drove  her  favorite  son  from  her  presence  for 
years. 

Children  are  variously  gifted;  parents  should  discern 
that  it  is  not  in  the  child's  power  to  have  one  gift  rather 
than  another,  less  to  the  taste  of  the  father  or  the  mother 
perhaps.  To  lead  their  different  inclinations  in  the 
proper  direction,  and  bestow  an  equal  amount  of  affec- 
tion on  each  child,  these  are  the  sacred  duties  devolving 
upon  parents. 

Rachel,  the  shepherdess,  in  all  the  blooming  beauty 
of  youth,  approaching  the  well  where  Jacob  met  her, 
will  always  be  an  object  of  admiration,  though  Leah, 
the  less  favored  with  outward  charms,  had  a  gentler  and 
more  devoted  disposition.  Leah  eagerly  and  fully 
accepted  the  one  and  only  God,  of  whose  wonderful 
power  and  merciful  love  Jacob  told  them,  but  in  Rachel 
there  was  still  lingering  an  inclination  toward  the  idols 
in  her  father's  house,  until  the  firm  conviction  of  Jacob 
kindled  the  pure  light  of  monotheism  also  in  her  soul. 
However,  with  all  her  shortcomings,  Rachel  must  have 
been  very  lovable  to  be  able  to  win  such  deep,  unwaver- 
ing affection  as  we  find  so  touchingly  described  in  Gene- 
sis xxix.  20,  "  And  Jacob  served  for  Rachel  seven  years; 
and  they  seemed  to  him  but  a  few  days  through  the  love 
he  had  to  her." 

The  most  pronounced  characteristics  of  the  "  Mothers 
in  Israel "  are  their  devotion  to  the  duties  of  home  and 
the  deep  and  tender  love  for  their  children. 

The  next  group  claiming  our  attention  is  the  group 
of  prophetesses  in  Israel. 


20  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

In  times  of  great  events  it  is  that  the  spirit  of  the 
Lord  moves,  as  it  were,  on  the  wings  of  a  mighty  but 
voiceless  storm.  Responsive  souls  are  touched  by  the 
waves  of  the  heaving  commotion — others  hear  nothing, 
and  feel  nothing. 

Miriam  was  the  first  among  the  women  in  Israel, 
whose  responsive  soul  was  moved  by  the  breath  of 
the  Lord.  With  timbrel  in  hand,  she  led  forth  the 
women  at  the  shore  of  the  Red  Sea,  and  sang  the  song  of 
triumph,  "  Sing  ye  to  the  Lord,  for  He  hath  triumphed 
gloriously  ;  the  horse  and  his  rider  hath  He  thrown  into 
the  sea." 

Even  as  a  child,  Miriam,  must  have  been  uncommonly 
thoughtful,  or  her  mother  would  not  have  sent  her  to 
watch  over  the  infant  Moses.  Patiently  did  she  wait  till 
she  saw  her  little  brother  safe  in  the  arms  of  Pharaoh's 
daughter. 

With  what  intelligence  did  she  act  to  secure  the  privi- 
lege of  the  care  of  the  child  for  her  mother ! 

Surely,  these  were  the  germs  from  which  grew  the 
rich  blossoms  of  the  gifts  of  her  womanhood. 

What  a  pity  that  one  chilling  gust  of  unsuppressed 
envy  caused  these  rich  blossoms  to  wither  and  droop  ! 

Miriam  grew  jealous;  she,  the  faithful  companion  of 
Moses'  early  youth,  could  not  endure  the  thought  that 
on  account  of  Zipporah,  the  Ethiopian,  she  had  to  be 
content  with  a  smaller  share  of  her  brother's  affection. 

"  And  Miriam  and  Aaron  spake  against  Moses,  because 
of  the  Ethiopian  woman  he  had  married." 

Great  as  was  this  transgression  of  Miriam,  so  was  also 
her  punishment;  she  became  leprous.  The  good  deeds 
of  her  childhood,  however,  were  not  forgotten.  She  had 
patiently  waited  and  watched  over  Moses  on  the  shore 
of  the  Nile,  now  the  whole  camp  of  Israel  waited  for 
her  until  she  was  healed. 


WOMEN  OP  BIBUCAI,  TIMES — MANNHEIMER.        21 

The  growing  intellectual  and  spiritual  development 
of  the  women  in  Israel  is  well  marked  in  Miriam,  but 
with  Deborah  this  development  reaches  a  glorious  culmi- 
nation. Prophet,  judge,  leader  in  battle,  poet  and  sacred 
singer,  where  in  history  do  we  see  all  these  various 
offices  filled  by  one  individual,  by  a  woman  ?  And  who 
was  Deborah  ?  Was  she  a  princess,  or  the  descendant  of 
a  high-priest,  or  the  daughter  of  a  man  of  high  standing, 
and  so  a  woman  of  authority  ?  By  no  means,  she  was 
but  the  daughter  of  lowly  parents  and  the  wife  of  Lapi- 
doth,  a  man  not  distinguished  by  position  or  wealth. 

To  hold  the  responsible  position  of  judge,  Deborah 
must  have  combined  natural  talents  with  untiring  perse- 
verance to  cultivate  and  perfect  them  for  the  service  of 
God,  i.  e.,  for  the  advancement  of  her  fellow-beings. 
Deborah's  husband  had  perfect  confidence  in  her,  for  he 
knew  that  the  Eternal  was  with  her. 

And  Deborah  prophesied  to  Barak  that  he  would  be 
victorious,  still  he  was  wanting  in  courage  to  go  without 
her  into  the  battle,  so  she  was  forced  to  leave  for 
the  first  time  her  quiet  home  in  order  to  secure  the 
victory. 

Her  prophecy  was  fulfilled  to  the  very  word;  the  vic- 
tory was  given  to  the  Jewish  people  by  the  Lord,  and 
brought  them  the  clear  consciousness  that  they  were  the 
people  of  the  Eternal,  the  witnesses  of  the  one  and  only 
God. 

After  the  enemy  is  overthrown,  Deborah  bursts  into 
a  song  of  triumph  in  strains  which  only  the  psalmists 
and  prophets  have  equaled  in  inspiration  and  beauty, 
still  she  does  not  claim  any  other  title  than:  "  Deborah, 
a  Mother  in  Israel." 

Several  hundred  years  later  there  arose  another  proph- 
etess in  Israel.  Hilkia,  the  high-priest,  while  repairing 
and  cleansing  the  sadly  neglected  house  of  the  Lord, 


22  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

found  the  forgotten  Book  of  the  Law.  When  the  con- 
tents of  the  book  were  made  known  to  Josiah,  the  king, 
it  aroused  him  to  the  full  comprehension  of  the  people's 
transgressions  and  their  ingratitude  toward  the  Eternal. 
In  his  consternation  and  grief,  he  rent  his  clothes,  and 
sent  to  inquire  of  the  Lord  for  him  and  for  the  people. 
And  to  whom  did  his  high  officers  go  to  inquire  ?  Not 
to  the  young  prophet  Jeremiah,  not  to  Zephaniah,  but  to 
the  prophetess  Huldah.  Her  reputation  for  superior 
wisdom  and  profound  knowledge  of  the  Law  must  have 
been  well  established.  And  where  did  the  high  officers 
go  to  seek  her  ?  According  to  the  explanation  of  Jona- 
than, they  found  her  in  the  College.  "Huldah,  the 
prophetess,  she  was  the  wife  of  Shallum,  the  son  of  the 
keeper  of  the  garments,  and  she  dwelled  in  the  College." 
What  an  abundance  of  conclusions  can  be  derived  from 
this  statement ! 

There  were,  then,  no  restrictive  regulations  at  that 
time  to  exclude  women  from  colleges  among  the  Israel- 
ites, and  women,  even  married  women,  were  thirsty 
enough  after  the  limpid  waters  flowing  from  the  source  of 
Zion,  to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  offered  to  them. 

There  is,  then,  even  in  those  remote  times  a  precedent 
for  the  liberal  views  of  the  Hebrew  Union  College. 
Huldah  came  not  forward  of  her  own  accord.  We  do 
not  hear  of  her  before  nor  after  the  king  sends  to  her, 
for  with  all  the  exquisite  gifts  of  prophecy  and  profound 
knowledge,  she  still  retains  the  true  womanly  modesty 
of  a  Mother  in  Israel. 

And  now  let  us  turn  our  attention  to  a  group  of  ener- 
getic women,  who,  by  their  example,  showed  how  to 
solve,  with  quiet  dignity,  the  problem  of  the  proper 
sphere  of  woman's  activity. 

The  five  daughters  of  Zelophchad,  a  descendant  of 
Menasseh,  pleaded  personally  their  rights  of  inheritance 


WOMEN  OF  BIBLICAL  TIMES — MANNHEIMER.        23 

before  Moses  and  before  Eliezer,  the  priest,  and  before 
the  princes  and  the  whole  congregation  at  the  door  of 
the  tabernacle.  They  said,  "  Why  should  the  name  of 
our  father  be  done  away  from  the  midst  of  his  family 
because  he  has  no  son  ?  Give  unto  us  a  possession  among 
the  brothers  of  our  father."  And  they  were  answered, 
"  The  daughters  of  Zelophchad  speak  rightly,  they  shall 
indeed  have  a  possession  among  the  brothers  of  their 
father,  and  the  inheritance  of  their  father  shall  pass  unto 
them." 

With  remarkable  independence  did  Abigail  act  when 
David  sent  his  men  to  obtain  food  for  himself  and  his 
warriors  of  the  rich  but  mean  Nabal,  the  unworthy  hus- 
band of  Abigail,  and  he  refused  the  request.  One  of  the 
servants  of  the  household  narrates  the  occurrence  to 
Abigail  in  order  to  warn  her  of  David's  wrath. 

With  quick  judgment  does  she  comprehend  at  once 
the  situation;  not  a  moment  does  she  hesitate,  or  stop  to 
ask  advice,  but  orders  at  once  two  hundred  loaves,  two 
bottles  of  wine,  five  sheep  ready  dressed,  five  measures 
of  parched  corn,  a  hundred  clusters  of  raisins  and  two 
hundred  cakes  of  figs  to  be  conveyed  to  David.  She  her- 
self accompanies  the  servants,  and  by  her  wisdom  suc- 
ceeds in  calming  David's  wrath  and  preventing  him  from 
shedding  blood.  We  see  here  the  absolute  authority 
woman  could  exercise  in  a  Jewish  household,  even  three 
thousand  years  ago,  by  her  self-possession  and  dignity, 
even  under  the  most  trying  circumstances. 

Another  incident  which  shows  that  energy  well 
directed  is  the  talisman  that  will  secure  success  alike  to 
woman  and  to  man,  is  the  event  at  the  return  of  the  gen- 
tle Shunammite  from  the  land  of  the  Philistines;  she 
had  gone  there  by  the  advice  of  Elisha,  the  prophet, 
during  the  famine  in  Judaea.  On  her  return  she  finds 
her  house  and  land  confiscated.  She  does  not  ask  the 


24  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

prophet  to  plead  her  case  before  the  king;  which  Elisha 
would  certainly  have  done,  but  she  goes  herself  before 
Jehoram,  and  asks  modestly,  but  firmly  for  redress,  and 
obtains  it  fully  and  at  once. 

So  we  find  woman  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  equality 
of  rights  in  Israel,  even  to  the  extent  of  the  highest  office 
in  the  land,  the  office  of  ruler. 

Alexander  Jannseus,  King  of  Judaea,  when  he  felt 
his  end  approaching,  called  his  wife  Alexandra,  and  gave 
her  such  counsel  as  would  secure  her  the  kingdom. 

He  must  have  had  the  perfect  conviction  that  her  sex 
would  prove  no  hindrance  to  her  occupancy  of  the  throne, 
and  that  she  would  be  equal  to  the  task,  and  so  she  was 
indeed.  In  a  short  time  she  had  secured  the  homage  of 
the  warriors  of  the  nation,  whom  she  led  on  to  victory. 
She  reigned  for  nine  years,  during  which  time  she  main- 
tained peace  by  energy  and  prudent  counsel.  Alexandra 
displayed  the  ability  of  a  woman  to  rule  a  nation;  other 
women  proved  themselves  equally  capable  to  be  leaders 
in  the  realm  of  mind. 

The  book  of  Mosaic  laws,  found  in  the  time  of  King 
Josiah,  contained  the  precept  that  women  should  be 
admitted  to  listen  to  the  public  reading  and  expounding 
of  the  Law,  and  such  good  use  was  made  by  them  of 
this  privilege,  that  in  Talmudic  times  there  nourished 
many  a  woman  whose  authority  in  the  expounding  of 
the  Law  was  acknowledged  even  by  the  rabbis. 
Beruria,  the  learned  and  pious  wife  of  Rabbi  Me'ir, 
acquired  great  renown.  In  Bagdad,  the  daughter  of 
Rabbi  Samuel  ben  Ali  gave  public  lectures,  as  did  also 
Miriam  Shapira,  the  ancestress  of  the  renowned  Luria 
family.  Graetz,  in  his  "  History  of  the  Jews,"  speaks 
highly  of  the  Talmudic  knowledge  of  Paula  dei  Mansi, 
the  wife  of  Jechiel;  she  copied  commentaries  on  the 
Bible  so  beautifully  that  her  writing  is  still  admired. 


WOMEN  OP  BIBUCAI,  TIMES— MANNHEIMER.        25 

Jewish  women  in  all  spheres  of  life  held  an  honored 
position  by  their  pure  devotion  to  the  sacred  duties  of 
the  family,  by  their  rich  and  well-perfected  gifts  of  intel- 
lect and  by  their  self-directed  energy,  but  above  all  by 
their  steadfast  clinging  to  the  belief  in  the  one  and  only 
God. 

Even  women  of  other  nations,  when  the  pure  laws  of 
Jewish  religion  were  made  known  to  them,  acknowl- 
edged their  unsurpassed  loftiness,  and  willingly  adhered 
to  them.  Helena,  the  pious  queen  of  Adiabene,  is  a 
noble  example  of  these  women;  Ifra,  the  mother  of  the 
Persian  king  Shaber  II,  was  strongly  attached  to  Juda- 
ism without  formally  accepting  it.  The  deep  respect  she 
felt  for  Jewish  teachings,  she  showed  by  rich  presents  to 
their  teachers.  The  same  facts  are  recorded  of  Empress 
Judith,  wife  of  the  Prankish  Emperor,  Ludwig  the  Pious. 
A  prelate  of  the  court  who  wished  to  gain  favor  with  her, 
dedicated  to  her  his  writings  about  the  books  of  Esther 
and  Judith,  in  which  he  compared  her  to  these  two  Jew- 
ish heroines.  Jews  were  freely  admitted  to  the  court, 
and  to  show  her  high  appreciation  and  respect  for  them, 
she  bestowed  on  them  costly  presents. 

If  we  look  for  the  most  prominent  trait  among  Jewish 
women  of  biblical  and  mediaeval  times,  we  shall  find 
maiden  and  mother,  prophetess  and  queen  alike  distin- 
guished by  perfect  trust  in  the  Eternal.  In  their  dis- 
tress they  turn  to  Him,  in  perplexity  they  ask  His  coun- 
sel, and  joy  and  happiness  they  accept  gratefully  as  gifts 
from  His  hand.  How  few  of  us  know  the  blessing  of 
this  ever-present  faith  !  If  we  could  but  take  the  time 
to  follow  closely  the  intricate  windings  of  our  own  lives, 
we  would  by  their  very  events  be  safely  led  through  the 
labyrinth  of  doubt  and  indifference  to  that  Holy  of 
Holies,  a  perfect  trust  in  the  Eternal,  such  as  the 
Mothers  of  Israel  possessed. 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  MODERN  DAYS. 


HELEN  KAHN  WEIL,  KANSAS  CITY,  Mo. 


Show  me  a  great  man — I  will  show  you  a  great 
mother !  Show  me  a  great  race — I  will  show  you  an 
unending  line  of  great  mothers  ! 

In  the  •  chronicles  of  time,  whose  synonym  is  eter- 
nity, Israel  and  Greece  stand  out  as  the  two  great  nations 
of  the  world.  Each  of  these  peoples  had  its  special  mis- 
sion to  humanity — one,  the  teaching  of  eternal  beauty, 
the  other,  the  propaganda  of  the  one  great  God,  Who  is 
both  spirit  and  beauty. 

In  the  annals  of  Greece,  we  read  of  Tyrtaeus,  the 
singer,  whose  inspiring  song  aroused  the  Spartans  to 
battle  when  all  other  means  had  failed;  in  the  tablets  of 
Israel,  we  read  of  the  prophetess  and  poetess,  Deborah, 
who  sat  under  the  palm  tree,  chanting  martial  hymns, 
whose  theme  was  the  glory  of  Jehovah,  the  one  true  God. 

Beauty  is  masculine  !  Spirit  is  feminine  !  Never  is 
there  an  idea  but  has  its  obverse  and  reverse  sides.  The 
thought  of  Plato  making  the  perfect  being  both  male 
and  female  is  not  a  discord.  The  earth,  what  would  it 
be  without  this  duality,  which  gives  us  the  essence  as 
well  as  the  substance  of  creation  ?  I  believe  it  was  James 
Freeman  Clarke  who  used  to  pray  to  "  Our  Father  and 
mother  which  are  in  Heaven,"  and  if  the  great  and  good 
God  maketh  man  in  His  own  image,  and  if  he  is  but  a 
microcosm  of  his  Creator,  then  surely  the  venerable 
divine  was  not  amiss  in  his  teachings. 

(26) 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OP  MODERN  DAYS — WEII..         27 

Possibly,  it  may  savor  a  little  of  heresy,  this  utterance 
of  mine,  that  Israel  pre-eminently  endures,  a  symbol  of 
woman's  regenerative  power.  But  proofs  are  not  want- 
ing to  attest  this  assertion. 

The  greatest  law-giver  who  ever  drew  breath  owed 
the  possibility  of  his  career  to  woman.  Pharaoh's 
daughter,  who  found  the  little  Moses  in  his  wave-rocked 
cradle,  and  nourished  him  as  the  fulcrum  of  her  own 
being;  Miriam,  the  houri-eyed,  sweet-voiced  sister, 
whose  triumphant  songs  inspired  the  wavering  tribes  of 
Israel  to  follow  their  chosen  leader  through  the  unknown 
dangers  of  the  trackless  desert,  are  incarnations  of  this 
truth.  Ever  as  the  centuries  grew  apace,  and  the  pur- 
pose of  Israel  waxed  more  and  more  manifest,  did  this 
verity  assert  itself.  All  through  the  Old  Testament,  at 
the  most  crucial  times,  it  is  a  Deborah,  a  Judith,  an 
Esther,  upon  whom  the  fate  of  their  people  revolves,  and 
in  more  modern  days,  the  discerning  eye  of  Clio  still 
awards  this  salient  place  to  the  women  of  Israel. 

In  Spain,  where  the  descendants  of  the  House  of 
David  were  given  sufficient  breathing  time  to  devote 
themselves  anew  to  the  study  of  philosophy  and  poetry 
there  were  women  philosophers  and  poets,  and  after- 
ward, when  the  direful  day  of  expulsion  came,  it  was  the 
mothers,  wives  and  sisters  of  these  ill-fated  refugees  who 
bore  them  up  in  their  time  of  trouble. 

In  the  awful  roll  of  Jewish  martyrs,  woman  does  not 
stand  a  whit  behind  her  brother,  in  her  willingness  to 
suffer  loss  of  home,  fortune  and  life  for  the  sake  of  her 
holy  religion.  The  tales  told  of  these  delicately  nurtured 
women  deliberately  turning  their  backs  upon  the  abodes 
that  had  sheltered  their  families  for  so  many  generations, 
clasping  their  weeping  little  ones  to  their  breasts,  and 
encouraging  their  husbands  through  their  valorous  exam- 
ples, are  a  legion. 


•28  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

One  of  the  most  exquisite  of  the  Old  Testament  idyls 
finds  its  repetition  over  and  over  again  in  these  days. 
Many  are  the  faithful  Ruths  who  say  in  dauntless  voices, 
"  Entreat  me  not  to  leave  thee,  or  to  return  from  follow- 
ing after  thee:  for  whither  thou  goest,  I  will  go,  and 
where  thou  lodgest,  I  will  lodge." 

In  the  sixteenth  century,  it  was  in  Italy  that  the  Jew 
was  permitted  to  lead  the  most  unmolested  existence. 
The  Hebrews  who  had  inhabited  the  Italic  peninsula 
previous  to  the  Spanish  dispersion  were  a  rather  mediocre 
class,  but  the  influx  of  the  polished  Sephardim  brethren, 
filled  with  memories  of  Hebrew  and  Arabic  lore,  infused 
new  life  into  their  sleepy  existence. 

Sitting  on  the  shores  of  the  Grand  Canal  at  Venice,  the 
foam-crested  Mediterranean  dashing  its  spray  against  her 
face,  a  Spanish  Jewess  would  tell  an  Italian  sister  stories  of 
the  beautiful  country  from  which  she  had  just  wandered. 
Extracts  from  Maimoiiides'  "  Guide  for  the  Perplexed  " 
would  be  interspersed  with  echoes  from  Ibn  Gabirol, 
Moses  ben  Esra  and  Jehuda  ben  Halevi — "May  my 
tongue  cleave  unto  my  mouth,  and  may  my  right  hand 
wither,  do  I  e'er  forget  thee,  O  Jerusalem ! " 

To  the  sad-eyed  woman  who  chanted  Halevi's  song, 
the  word  Jerusalem  bore  a  double  meaning:  it  meant 
Palestine,  the  home  of  her  forefathers,  and  it  meant 
Spain,  her  own  and  her  children's  birthplace.  And  so, 
over  the  length  and  breadth  of  Europe,  did  these  wan- 
dering people  carry  the  tale  of  their  culture  and  their 
past  glory  with  them,  and  as  there  is  no  seed,  be  it  never 
so  wind-blown,  but  finds,  sooner  or  later,  some  fruitful 
soil  which  receives  it,  and  nourishes  it,  so  did  the  thought 
which  these  homeless  strangers  carried  with  them  find  its 
mission,  and  do  its  good. 

Graetz  says  that  the  Italian  Jews  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury were  a  people  of  few  natural  resources,  that  their 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  MODERN  DAYS — WEIL.         29 

literature  was  meagre,  and  that  their  achievements  were 
few  and  far  between.  What  little  they  did  produce 
was  due  mostly  to  the  Spanish  Jews,  who  had  taken  up 
their  homes  amidst  them.  Nearly  every  prominent 
character  at  this  period  bears  a  Spanish  name. 

Among  the  few  notable  women  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, Benvenida  Abravanel  takes  leading  rank.  Her 
husband  was  the  son  of  him  who  vainly  tendered  his 
entire  fortune  to  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  in  order  that 
the  impending  edict  against  his  people  might  be  repealed. 
From  this  sire,  Samuel  Abravanel  inherited  the  remark- 
able financial  gifts  that  enabled  him  speedily  to  recon- 
struct the  family  fortunes.  He  and  his  wife  deserve  to 
be  called  the  Moses  and  Judith  Montefiore  of  their 
period.  Thus  sings  a  poet  of  the  day  his  praises: 
"  Samuel  Abravanel  merits  the  triple  crown.  He  is 
great  and  wise  in  the  L,aw,  great  in  nobility  of  character 
and  great  in  the  possession  of  riches."  To  the  name  of 
his  patron,  Samuel  Usque  might  have  joined,  without 
fear  of  incurring  censure  for  extravagance,  that  of  his 
patroness,  the  beautiful  and  gifted  Benvenida. 

Don  Pedro,  Viceroy  of  Naples,  held  her  in  such  high 
esteem,  he  chose  her  to  be  the  intimate  companion  and 
adviser  to  his  daughter,  Leonora,  who  afterward  became 
the  wife  of  Cosimo  di  Medici.  Through  a  long  life, 
this  princess  continued  to  remember  her  Jewish  friend, 
addressing  to  her  letters,  whose  spirit  was  the  very  incar- 
nation of  tender,  filial  devotion. 

When  Charles  V.,  crowned  with  the  laurel  gained  by  his 
African  victories,  was  passing  through  Naples,  it  was  his 
intention  to  expel  the  Jews  from  that  city,  but  Benvenida, 
supported  by  the  entreaties  of  her  young  charge,  suc- 
ceeded in  deterring  him  from  fulfilling  his  cruel  purpose. 

The  Abravanel  mansion  was  a  popular  rendezvous, 
where  cultivated  Christians,  as  well  as  Jews,  loved  to 


30  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

assemble.  Chronicle  tells  us  of  one  John  Albert  Wid- 
manstadt,  a  pupil  of  Reuchlin,  and  a  man  of  encyclopae- 
dic learning,  taking  up  his  abode  there  to  further  his 
advancement  in  Hebrew  studies.  At  this  distant  time, 
it  is  rather  difficult  to  realize  the  impediments  besetting 
such  intentions.  Incited  by  Luther,  Erasmus  and 
Reuchlin,  the  learned  world  was  just  beginning  anew  to 
interest  itself  in  the  Scriptural  tongue,  and  as  the  Jews 
were  thus  far  almost  the  only  custodians  of  the  sacred 
language,  a  barrier  between  themselves  and  the  Chris- 
tians was  withdrawn,  when  such  intercourse  was  necessi- 
tated. 

Contemporaneously  with  Benvenida  Abravanel  flour- 
ished a  woman  of  Portuguese  Neo-Christian  extraction, 
whose  serenity  of  soul,  amiability  of  character  and  cour- 
ageous steadfastness  of  purpose  in  prosperity,  as  well  as 
adversity,  constitute  her  one  of  the  greatest  female  bene- 
factors of  her  race.  This  was  Donna  Gracia  Mendes. 
She  was  married  to  the  principal  member  of  a  noted 
banking  house,  the  extent  of  whose  business  relations 
with  Charles  V.,  Francis  I.  and  other  sovereigns  enabled 
it  to  achieve  a  European  reputation. 

Like  many  of  her  people,  forced  by  a  cruel  decree  to 
subscribe  to  a  faith  which  was  only  an  intolerable  simu- 
lation, Donna  Gracia  longed  with  pious  fervor  to  be  ena- 
bled once  again  to  repeat  untrammeled  the  confession 
of  her  fathers:  "  Hear,  O  Israel,  the  Lord,  our  God,  the 
Lord  is  One !" 

After  the  death  of  her  husband,  prompted  by  this 
desire,  strengthened  no  doubt  by  fresh  edicts  of  persecu- 
tion against  the  Neo-Christians,  accompanied  by  the  one 
remaining  pledge  of  her  marriage,  her  daughter  Reyna, 
she  sought  refuge  with  her  husband's  kindred  at  Ant- 
werp. From  this  ephemeral  vantage-ground,  she  and 
her  wealthy  brother-in-law  spent  fortune  upon  fortune 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  MODERN  DAYS — WEIL.         31 

in  endeavoring  to  rescue  from  torture  and  the  stake 
those  of  their  unhappy  co-religionists  who  were  still 
under  the  fell  dominion  of  the  fanatical  John  of  Portugal. 

Notwithstanding  the  prominent  position  maintained 
by  her  family  at  Antwerp,  where  a  nephew  stood  high 
at  court,  Donna  Gracia  was  not  content.  In  Flanders, 
which  was  still  under  the  Austrian-Spanish  regime,  an 
open  relapse  to  Judaism  meant  almost  certain  death,  but 
until  1546,  when  the  decease  of  her  kinsman  promoted 
her  to  the  position  of  chief  of  the  banking  firm,  she 
found  a  removal  from  Antwerp  impossible. 

Bven  then  did  fickle  fortune  continue  to  circumvent 
her,  for  hardly  had  Diego  closed  his  eyes,  when  the  insa- 
tiable greed  of  Charles  V.  prompted  him  to  lay  covetous 
hands  upon  the  Mendes  estate.  The  only  excuse  for  so 
unwarrantable  an  action  was  the  omnipresent  charge  of 
defection  from  the  Holy  Roman  Church. 

For  two.  years  did  Donna  Gracia  combat  the  inquisi- 
torial hydra,  and  even  at  the  expiration  of  this  long 
period,  she  was  not  permitted  to  depart  from  the  coun- 
try without  surrendering  a  considerable  portion  of  her 
worldly  goods. 

Once  arrived  at  Venice,  whence  she  had  hoped  speedily 
to  embark  for  Turkey,  new  troubles  awaited  her.  Her 
own  sister,  envious  of  her  superior  position,  charged  her 
with  secret  adherence  to  Judaism.  The  designed  transfer 
of  her  estates  to  Turkey  was  also  revealed.  The  Vene- 
tian authorities,  always  jealous  of  the  Porte,  were  loath 
to  permit  such  great  riches  to  pass  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  Donna  Gracia  was,  therefore,  thrown  into  prison, 
where  she  languished  for  many  months,  until  she  was 
released  at  the  solicitation  of  Sultan  Suleiman,  who  dis- 
patched an  especial  envoy  to  Venice  to  effect  this  purpose. 

After  a  sojourn  of  some  years  at  Ferrara,  where,  for  its 
devotion  to  polite  learning,  her  own  little  court  bore  no 


32  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

mean  comparison  with  that  of  Ercole  D'Este,  accompa- 
nied by  her  suite,  consisting  of  some  five  hundred  per- 
sons, she  embarked  for  the  Orient. 

Having  reached  Constantinople,  all  dissimulation  was 
thrown  to  the  winds,  and  she  stood  before  the  world  a 
self-acknowledged  and  self-respecting  daughter  of  Israel. 
Here  she  witnessed  the  consummation  of  the  long- 
delayed  nuptials  of  her  daughter  Reyna,  and  her  favorite 
nephew  Joseph.  As  Prince  and  Princess  of  Naxos, 
favored  by  the  Sultan  and  feared  by  his  people, 
fate  had  an  exalted  destiny  in  store  for  this  young- 
couple. 

The  name  of  Donna  Gracia  and  that  of  her  daughter 
find  frequent  repetition  in  the  literature  of  the  period. 
Many  are  the  books  inscribed  to  them,  and  many  are 
the  songs  sung  in  their  praise.  One  of  the  first  Hebrew 
printing  presses  erected  in  Turkey,  was  constructed  by 
Reyna,  Princess  of  Naxos,  for  the  purpose  of  issuing  a 
new  and  much  needed  edition  of  the  Talmud. 

A  marked  contrast  to  that  of  the  two  preceding  char- 
acters, is  the  career  of  Esther  Kiera,  physician  and  poli- 
tician at  the  court  of  Sultan  Murad  III.  Acknowledged 
favorite  of  the  queen  of  his  harem,  she  employed  her 
powers  of  statecraft  for  the  elevation  or  abasement  of 
princes.  The  mighty  potentates  of  Europe,  who,  in 
their  native  lands,  were  grinding  her  own  people  into 
the  very  dust,  were  often  forced  to  sue  the  favor  of  this 
Jewish  woman,  in  order  that  the  recognition  of  the  Sul- 
tan might  be  obtained. 

It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  so  much  authority  con- 
centrated in  the  hands  of  one  person  would  long  remain 
unassailed.  The  blood  of  Esther  and  her  three  sons 
staining  the  marble  entrance  to  the  palace  of  the  grand 
vizier  was  the  forfeit  paid  by  herself  and  her  offspring 
for  their  exalted  fortunes. 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  MODERN  DAYS — WEII,.         33 

Toward  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century,  the 
condition  of  the  European  Jews  grew  more  and  more 
intolerable.  The  Catholic  reactionists,  with  the  Jesuits 
at  their  head,  were  everywhere  waging  a  relentless  battle 
against  light  and  learning.  In  Turkey,  where  for  fifty 
years  the  Jews  had  maintained  such  honorable  positions, 
a  new  spirit  of  persecution  had  set  in.  The  Thirty 
Years'  War  dancing  its  Dance  of  Death  through  Germany, 
and  the  Cossack  massacres  in  Poland,  threatened  an 
almost  vandalic  annihilation  of  all  higher  civilization. 

In  this  wholesale  immolation,  the  Jew,  ever  the  fated 
target  for  all  changing  political  conditions,  was  again 
the  first  victim.  Even  his  religious  ritual  is  said  to 
have  suffered  from  this  sad  state  of  affairs,  for  we  are 
told  that  the  synagogical  services  were  utterly  incom- 
prehensible to  the  female  members  of  the  congregation. 
The  German  Jewess,  seated  apart  in  the  latticed  woman's 
gallery,  had  to  trust  entirely  to  tradition  and  intuition, 
would  she  understand  the  import  of  the  ceremonies  of 
her  faith. 

Whither  ?  and  Whence  ?  were  again  the  queries  of  the 
Wandering  Jew.  From  staunch  little  Holland  came  the 
first  response.  After  having  achieved  its  bravely  won 
victory  for  civil  and  religious  liberty,  guided  by  the 
tolerant  William  of  Orange,  this  country  was  among  the 
earliest  in  Europe  to  recognize  the  intellectual  and  finan- 
cial expediency  of  possessing  Jewish  inhabitants.  At 
first  barely  endured,  through  his  integrity  and  courage, 
the  Hebrew,  by  slow  degrees,  gained  for  himself  a  higher 
position  in  his  new  home. 

In  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries,  to  be 
called  a  Holland  Jew  was  a  title  of  much  distinction, 
and  the  Amsterdam  colony,  composed  for  the  most  part 
of  Spanish  and  Portuguese  brethren,  was  famed  through- 
out the  continent  as  a  model  of  cultured  elegance. 


34  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

The  Academy  of  Poetry,  originating  in  this  city  in 
1676,  was  directed  by  Manuel  de  Belmonte,  a  Jew, 
whose  pride  of  race  must  assuredly  have  been  gratified 
by  Isabella  Correa,  one  of  the  most  prominent  members 
attending  the  meetings  of  the  association.  Her  fine 
translation  from  Italian  into  Spanish  of  Guarini's  "  Pas- 
tor Fido  "  achieved  for  her  a  European  reputation. 

From  days  immemorial,  Holland  and  England  have 
possessed  many  traits  in  common.  Hand  in  hand,  with 
steadfast  faces  ever  turned  toward  the  aurora  of  progress, 
these  two  countries  have  given  the  world  many  beautiful 
lessons.  As  if  emulous  of  the  humane  policy  espoused 
by  its  neighbor,  after  the  lapse  of  centuries,  England 
again  demonstrated  an  inclination  to  admit  the  Jew. 

In  Elizabeth's  time,  we  read  of  a  shipwrecked  Jewess, 
Maria  Nunes  by  name,  whose  beauty  excited  the  curiosity 
of  the  Virgin  Queen.  At  the  instigation  of  the  captain 
of  the  rescuing  ship,  an  English  nobleman,  who  had 
fallen  a  victim  to  his  passenger's  charms,  Maria  Nunes 
was  summoned  to  court,  where,  as  an  especial  tribute  to 
her  loveliness,  she  was  invited  to  ride,  side  by  side  with 
good  Queen  Bess,  through  the  streets  of  London.  It  is 
further  related  by  chronicle  that  the  enamored  captain 
pleaded  in  vain  with  the  maiden  to  abjure  her  religion, 
that  he  might  make  her  his  bride. 

In  view  of  this  pretty  story,  is  it  presumptuous  to 
suppose,  that  the  favorable  impression  made  on  the  Eng- 
lish nobility  by  this  worthy  daughter  of  her  race,  did 
much  to  help  to  dispel  the  prejudice  existing  there 
against  the  Jews  ? 

A  strange  anomaly  in  history  is  the  fact  that  the  Jews 
who  lived  at  Venice  in  Shakespeare's  day  were  among 
the  noblest  specimens  of  their  kind.  As  fickle  in  its 
government  as  the  sunsets  that  gilded  its  coasts,  the 
Venetian  Republic  by  turns  tolerated  and  humiliated  its 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  MODERN  DAYS — WEIL.         35 

Jewish  inhabitants.  At  the  present  moment,  the  Hebrew 
colony,  consisting  of  some  six  thousand  souls,  was  per- 
mitted unmolested  social  intercourse  with  the  Christians. 

Amidst  the  heterogeneous  elements  comprising  so  large 
a  community,  there  may  have  been  a  Jessica,  there  may 
have  been  a  Shylock,  but  authentic  records  give  us  no 
trace  of  such  characters.  They  tell  us,  however,  of  a  new 
Hebrew-Italian  school  of  poetry,  among  whose  protagon- 
ists were  two  women,  Deborah  Ascarelli  and  Sara  Copia 
Sullam. 

Of  especial  interest  is  the  life  of  the  latter.  Beautiful 
and  highly  gifted,  the  possessor  of  an  extraordinary 
mind,  in  which  the  genius  of  poetry  and  of  philosophy 
were  blended,  the  writer  of  a  treatise  on  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  which  even*  Graetz  extols  for  its  masculine 
vigor,  and  the  main  figure  in  an  episode,  in  which  a  love- 
lorn and  proselyting  priest  is  the  hero,  and  she,  the  stead- 
fast and  faithful  Jewess,  the  heroine,  the  story  of  Sara 
Copia  Sullam  is  imbued  with  all  the  interest  of  a  roman- 
tic tale  of  fiction. 

As  the  eighteenth  century  neared  its  meridian,  dim 
heraldings  of  better  days  began  to  penetrate  the  stifled 
atmosphere  of  the  Ghetto.  Here  and  there,  amidst  the 
sorely  pressed  multitude,  a  few  faint  glimmers  of  the 
speedily  approaching  Renaissance  made  themselves  per- 
ceptible. After  so  many  years  of  abject  self-suppression, 
the  Jews  were  beginning  again  to  appreciate  the  glory 
of  the  individual  and  the  glory  of  the  race.  In  the  words 
of  the  prophet:  "  The  breath  came  into  them,  and  they 
lived,  and  stood  up  upon  their  feet,  an  exceeding  great 
army." 

Guided  by  the  pillar  of  fire,  emblematic  of  progress, 
like  his  ancient  namesake,  the  first  law-giver  of  Israel, 
Moses  Mendelssohn  led  the  Jews  out  of  the  land  of  bond- 
age, which  is  ignorance,  into  the  land  of  promise,  which 


36  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

is  civilization.  His  resuscitating  influence  pervaded 
every  department  of  human  existence,  and  such  was  the 
living  force  of  his  example,  that  never  once,  even  in  his 
own  home,  did  Moses  Mendelssohn  descend  from  the 
pure  ideals  which,  he  considered,  should  constitute  the 
character  of  every  normal  child  of  God. 

His  attitude  toward  women  was  ineffably  beautiful. 
Who  does  not  know  the  exquisitely  pathetic  tale  of  his 
wooing?  His  views  on  the  education  of  the  sex,  not- 
withstanding a  somewhat  incongruous  assent  to  old-time 
marriage  customs,  were  far  in  advance  of  those  of  his 
coutemporaries. 

Side  by  side  and  on  a  perfect  equality  with  their 
brothers,  the  Mendelssohn  girls  received  the  best  educa- 
tion that  was  then  procurable.  By  the  celebrated  men 
and  women  who  congregated  at  the  philosopher's  home, 
Dorothea,  Recha  and  Henrietta  Mendelssohn  were  deemed 
no  small  attraction.  The  eldest  daughter,  particularly, 
was  noted  for  her  logical  and  vigorous  mind.  Of  all  the 
children  of  Moses  Mendelssohn,  Dorothea  appears  to  have 
been  the  one  who  most  largely  inherited  her  father's  gifts. 

In  spite  of  an  exceedingly  uncomely  presence,  her 
remarkable  conversational  powers  and  uncommon  ami- 
ability made  this  woman  a  centre  around  which  the 
younger  members  of  her  father's  circle  loved  to  assemble, 
and  after  Moses  Mendelssohn's  death,  when  this  rendez- 
vous was  no  longer  in  existence,  Dorothea,  as  the  wife  of 
Simon  Veit,  presided  over  a  salon  which  took  equal  rank 
with  that  of  Henrietta  Herz  and  Rahel  Varnhagen. 

In  Frederick  the  Great's  time,  Berlin  was  a  very  prim- 
itive place.  With  the  exception  of  the  inner  court  circle, 
where  an  unpatriotic  adulation  of  everything  French,  to 
the  exclusion  of  everything  German,  was  the  mode,  little 
or  no  cultured  society  existed.  The  king,  who  counted 
such  men  as  Lessing,  Mendelssohn,  the  von  Humboldts 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  MODERN  DAYS — WEIL.         37 

and  the  von  Schlegels  among  his  subjects,  was  utterly 
apathetic  to  the  possibilities  of  an  indigenous  German 
literature. 

Would  these  intellectual  pioneers  obtain  recognition, 
they  were  forced  to  appeal  to  a  higher  and  broader  tri- 
bunal. The  middle  classes  of  the  Prussian  capital  were 
a  stolid,  frivolous  set,  completely  immersed  in  material, 
vain  pleasure.  There  were  no  literary  clubs  among  the 
men,  no  salons  among  the  women.  With  the  exception 
of  a  few  Jewish  houses,  where  Moses  Mendelssohn's  exam- 
ple was  still  being  followed,  there  was  no  place  where 
men  and  women  could  exchange  intellectual  confidences. 

Speaking  of  this  period,  Henrietta  Herz  says:  "  I  do 
not  consider  it  an  exaggeration  to  maintain  that  there 
was  no  person  who  then  resided  at  Berlin,  who  afterward 
distinguished  himself,  who  did  not  for  a  shorter  or  greater 
length  of  time  frequent  our  circle." 

The  writer  of  the  above  assertion  is  elected  by  many 
authorities  the  Madame  Recamier  of  Germany.  Beauti- 
ful as  a  siren,  the  wife  of  a  noted  physician  and  littlra- 
teur,  mistress  of  half  a  dozen  languages,  and  the  hostess 
of  one  of  the  most  popular  eighteenth  century  salons, 
the  name  of  Henrietta  Herz  is  an  imperishable  memory 
in  the  social  annals  of  her  country.  Once  Schleiermacher 
likened  her  to  Ceres,  in  token  of  the  ability  she  possessed 
to  develop,  among  her  acquaintances,  the  best  and  noblest 
blossoms  of  human  nature.  "  Inspire,  but  do  not  write  !  " 
said  Le  Brun  to  Madame  de  Rambouillet.  It  is  not 
known  whether  Henrietta  Herz  modeled  her  career  upon 
that  of  her  French  predecessor,  but  it  would  seem  so,  for 
notwithstanding  her  eminent  talents,  she  never  achieved 
an  independent  literary  reputation.  A  few  pages  of 
personal  recollections,  published  shortly  after  her  death 
in  1847,  and  a  translation  of  Mungo  Park's  "Travels  in 
Africa,"  are  the  only  works  proceeding  from  her  pen. 


38  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Rahel  L,evin  Varnhagen,  "  the  dear,  good,  little  woman 
with  the  great  soul,"  as  Heinrich  Heine  fondly  calls  her, 
was  the  third  member  of  the  Berlin  Salon  Triumvirate. 
Her  husband  was  Varnhagen  von  Ense,  a  German  noble- 
man of  literary  eminence,  whose  chief  distinction  in 
the  eyes  of  posterity  is  Iris  friendship  with  Gothe,  Schil- 
ler and  others  of  his  celebrated  contemporaries,  perpet- 
uated through  many  volumes  of  correspondence  between 
himself  and  his  wife. 

The  Gothe  cult,  which  has  waxed  to  such  great 
proportions  during  the  latter  half  of  this  century,  was 
first  started  in  Germany  through  the  exertions  of  Frau 
Varnhagen.  Love  for  the  author  of  Faust  was  a  sure 
passport  to  her  heart  and  home,  where  even  such  men 
as  Heinrich  Heine  and  L,udwig  Borne  first  had  to 
take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  its  patron  saint,  the 
4 'open  sesame"  that  admitted  them  through  its  por- 
tals. In  perspicacity  of  mind,  earnestness  of  purpose 
and  uprightness  of  character,  Rahel  Varnhagen  per- 
haps exceeded  her  two  friends;  but  they  were  all 
children  of  one  era,  their  virtues  and  their  foibles  were 
but  a  part  of  the  storm  and  stress  period  of  thought, 
out  of  which  everything  that  is  best  in  this  world  must 
grow. 

Each  human  soul  is  an  exaggerated  or  lessened  quo- 
tation of  the  spirit  of  its  age.  Dorothea  Mendelssohn, 
Henrietta  Herz  and  Rahel  Varnhagen  were  no  excep- 
tions to  this  rule.  Their  vagaries,  some  of  which,  to  a 
more  sober  day,  seem  almost  to  savor  of  license,  are  only 
the  natural  overflow  of  intellectual  and  animal  spirits 
enfranchised  from  centuries  of  Ghetto-suppression. 
When  a  dyke  is  destroyed,  it  is  the  head-waters  that 
are  always  the  most  tempestuous. 

In  1790,  the  French  Republic,  true  to  its  principles, 
tendered  unrestricted  privilege  of  citizenship  to  the  Jews 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  MODERN  DAYS — WEII,.         39 

under  its  dominion.  Following  close  in  its  wake, 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  in  his  triumphal  marches  through 
Europe,  did  much  to  soften  the  condition  of  the 
Hebrews  residing  within  the  conquered  territory.  The 
convocation,  by  his  order,  of  the  great  Sanhedrim  at 
Paris  in  1806  once  again  renewed  the  memories  of 
ancient  Palestine. 

The  spirit  of  ' '  live  and  let  live, ' '  the  imperishable 
distinction  of  the  nineteenth  century,  has  been  of  most 
benefit  to  the  House  of  Israel,  whose  marvelous  adapta- 
bility to  every  changing  condition,  marks  it  as  one  of 
the  superior  races  of  mankind.  His  very  intensity  of 
character,  a  cause  for  commendation  as  well  as  criticism, 
makes  it  possible,  with  favorable  surroundings,  for  the 
Hebrew,  in  the  short  space  of  one  generation,  to  trans- 
form himself  from  a  creeping,  cringing  peddler  into  an 
upright,  polished  gentleman. 

If  this  be  apposite  to  the  Jewish  man,  how  much 
truer  must  it  be  of  the  Jewish  woman,  whose  tempera- 
ment of  sex  naturally  constitutes  her  the  quicker  of  the 
two  in  responding  to  the  best  variations  of  her  environ- 
ment. Everywhere,  in  answer  to  the  broader  possibili- 
ties of  the  present  era,  have  the  women  of  Israel  kept 
equal  pace  with  the  men. 

Fanny,  the  sister  of  Felix  Mendelssohn,  is  the  com- 
poser of  many  of  the  "  Songs  Without  Words  "  attributed 
to  her  brother.  A  too  faithful  adherence  to  her  father's 
narrow  conception  of  what  was  best  for  her  sex  alone 
prevented  her  from  producing  works,  which  would  have 
given  her  a  like  reputation  with  the  composer  of 
"Elijah." 

Caroline  Stern,  the  inspirer  of  one  of  Heinrich 
Heine's  first  published  poems,  and  Caroline  Gomperz 
Bettelheim,  the  famous  Austrian  court  contralto,  are 
among  the  modern  Miriams  of  their  race. 


40  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

The  actresses,  Rachel  Felix  and  Sara  Bernhardt,  both 
at  one  period  members  of  the  Comkdie  Franqaise,  are 
too  well  known  to  require  more  than  passing  mention. 

Many  of  the  members  of  the  German,  French  and 
English  branches  of  the  Rothschild  family  have  dis- 
tinguished themselves  by  their  musical  and  literary 
achievements.  Betty,  the  widow  of  James  Rothschild, 
is  noted  all  over  the  world  as  a  patroness  of  learning. 
As  far  back  as  1849,  she  demonstrated  her  interest  in 
the  advancement  of  women,  by  offering  a  prize  of  five 
thousand  francs  to  the  young  girl  who  should  show  the 
highest  proficiency  in  Hebrew- French  translation.  Solo- 
mon Munk's  celebrated  edition  of  Maimonides'  "Guide 
for  the  Perplexed "  owes  its  origin  to  her  munificent 
liberality. 

The  name  of  Grace  Aguilar,  author  of  the  "  Women 
of  Israel,"  "The  Vale  of  Cedars,"  and  other  famous 
works,  is  a  household  word.  Lady  Magnus'  "Jewish 
Portraits  "  and  "  Outlines  of  Jewish  History  "  are  famil- 
iar to  English  readers  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic. 

A  remarkable  character,  whose  endeavors  in  behalf 
of  the  higher  education  of  women  and  the  dissemina- 
tion of  the  Free  Kindergarten  System  through  Germany, 
have  placed  her  among  the  prominent  benefactors  of  her 
sex,  is  lyina  Morgenstern.  When  Froebel's  doctrine 
was  still  viewed  as  the  scheme  of  a  wool-gathering 
reformer,  this  far-seeing  woman  took  up  cudgels  in  its 
defense.  For  her  disinterested  devotion  to  her  sick  and 
wounded  countrymen  during  the  Franco-Prussian  War, 
she  has  been  the  recipient  of  many  orders  of  decoration. 
In  spite  of  such  multiform  practical  activity,  Frau  Mor- 
genstern is  the  author  and  translator  of  numerous  well- 
known  books.  Her  "Children's  Paradise"  has  gone 
through  four  editions.  As  charter  member  and  presi- 
dent of  the  "  German  Housekeepers '  Union, "  an 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  MODERN  DAYS — WEIL.        41 

association  with  ramifications  all  through  the  Father- 
land, and  editor  of  "  The  Journal  for  German  House- 
keepers," she  still  continues,  undeterred  by  advancing 
age,  to  maintain  an  active  interest  in  all  matters  homo- 
geneous with  her  chosen  subjects. 

The  blessings  of  the  oppressed  and  afflicted,  aris- 
ing from  all  sides  to  honor  the  most  humane  of  the 
centuries'  benefactors,  are  indissolubly  interwoven  with 
the  memory  of  Judith,  the  wife  of  Sir  Moses  Monte- 
fiore. 

At  the  head  of  the  Jewish  writers  of  this  country  is 
Emma  Lazarus.  She  and  Heinrich  Heine  are  the  two 
greatest  poets  produced  by  the  Hebrews  in  the  present 
century.  Between  herself  and  her  German  co-religion- 
ist there  was  much  in  common.  Both  were  burdened 
by  the  irrepressible  Weltschmers  of  their  nation,  and 
both  were  Greeks  as  well  as  Hebrews.  Incontestably, 
it  is  this  propinquity  of  spirit  that  elects  Emma  Lazarus 
the  best  of  Heinrich  Heine's  English  translators.  An 
imperishable  monument  erected  by  her  to  the  memory 
of  the  Passion  of  Israel  is  the  collection  of  prose  poems 
entitled  "  By  the  Waters  of  Babylon." 

Henrietta  Szold,  Annie  Nathan  Meyer,  Josephine 
Lazarus,  Mary  M.  Cohen,  Minnie  D.  Louis,  Nina  Morais 
Cohen  and  Martha  Morton,  are  only  a  few  among  the 
many  of  our  countrywomen,  whose  achievements  serve 
to  perpetuate  the  undiminished  glory  of  hoary-headed 
Israel. 

If  the  measure  of  a  nation's  fame  be  the  standard 
maintained  by  its  women,  then  this  Congress  of  Jewish 
Women,  the  first  in  its  history,  is  a  renewed  pledge  of 
the  immortal  possibilities  of  the  Hebrew  race. 

A  potent  factor  toward  the  production  of  one  of  the 
finest  accomplishments  of  the  age — the  Jin  de  siecle 
woman — is  the  club. 


42  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

All  over  the  United  States,  in  city  and  in  hamlet,  are 
ethical,  philosophical,  historical  and  political  organiza- 
tions, whose  one  great  aim  is  the  betterment  of  human- 
ity, through  the  elevation  of  the  sex.  The  majority  of 
the  members  of  these  clubs  are  Christians,  but  few  of 
them  are  Jews ;  the  history  of  the  position  of  the  club, 
in  the  chronicle  pertaining  to  the  advancement  of  Jewish 
women,  is,  therefore,  yet  an  unwritten  page.  The  fact 
that  the  honored  president  and  projector  of  this  present 
congress  is  an  enthusiastic  club  woman,  should  be  elo- 
quent testimony  in  favor  of  the  further  extension  of 
organization  among  the  women  of  Israel. 

This  is  called  the  "Woman's  Age,"  and  America  is 
called  the  "Woman's  Paradise."  The  intellectual  and 
civic  liberties  more  and  more  accorded  to  our  sex,  are 
open  to  Jew  as  well  as  Christian. 

In  the  college,  at  the  polls,  in  the  home,  in  the  church, 
woman  is  assuming  an  equal  place  with  man.  Shoulder 
to  shoulder  with  her  Christian  sister,  is  the  Jewish  wo- 
man yoked  to  the  eternal  chariot  of  universal  progress, 
underneath  whose  star-driven  wheels  all  social  barriers, 
products  of  a  past,  effete  age,  are  forever  ground  into 
oblivion.  Higher  and  higher  into  the  "  Heaven  of 
Borderless  Futurity  "  does  this  chariot  ascend.  See ! 
out  from  the  clouds  the  man  of  the  past  extends  his 
hand  to  crown  the  woman  of  the  present,  for — 

1 '  All  that  doth  perish 
Is  but  a  symbol, 
All  that  is  futile 
Here  becomes  deed, 
The  indescribable 
Here  it  is  done  ; 
The  Woman -Eternal 
Leadeth  us  on  !  " 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  MODERN  DAYS. 
{Discussion  of  the  foregoing  paper?) 


HENRIETTA  G.  FRANK,  CHICAGO, 


The  woman  of  our  day,  like  Eve,  the  All-Mother, 
stretches  out  her  hand  for  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  knowl- 
edge that  she  may  know  good  from  evil;  though  she  lose 
the  paradise  of  ignorance,  she  may  gain  the  field  of 
honest  endeavor.  The  serpent  appears  to  her  not  as 
Satan,  the  tempter,  but  rather  as  the  companion  of 
Minerva,  the  symbol  of  wisdom  and  of  eternity.  If 
Adam  had  eaten  more  freely  of  the  fruit  tendered  him 
by  Eve,  his  descendants  might  have  become  too  wise  to 
deny  to  women  capabilities  equal  to  men's.  Would 
Adam  have  given  Eve  of  the  fruit,  had  he  been  the  first 
to  taste  of  it  ?  Adam  now  permits  Eve  to  enjoy  the 
fruit,  while  he  digs  about  the  roots  of  the  tree,  until  he 
lands  at  the  antipodes  in  his  effort  to  reach  final  causes. 

What  is  woman's  sphere?  Whatever  she  can  do,  and 
can  do  well.  No  amount  of  cultivation  will  enable  her 
to  perform  duties  for  which  nature  has  not  fitted  her; 
like  her  brother,  she  may  become  warped,  or  remain 
undeveloped,  but  she  cannot  be  trained  contrary  to  the 
laws  of  her  own  being.  The  exhibits  in  the  depart- 
ment of  ethnology  at  the  World's  Columbian  Exposi- 
tion, entitled  "Woman's  Work  in  Savagery,"  demon- 
strate that  woman  has  been  chiefly  responsible  for  the 
origin  and  development  of  the  arts  of  peace. 

(43) 


44  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Did  the  Germans  copy  from  the  Orientals,  or  did  the 
German  Jews  copy  from  the  Germans,  their  dislike  of 
learned  women,  and  their  approval  of  Paul's  injunction, 
that  women  keep  silence  in  the  churches  ?  The  Jewish 
masculine  mind  is  apt  to  share  with  the  German,  a  cer- 
tain frowning  down  upon  intellectual  endeavor  in  women, 
outside  of  the  accomplishments  that  are  considered 
pleasing.  We  attribute  it  to  the  love  of  thoroughness 
and  of  originality,  which  they  share  with  the  Germans, 
and  to  their  contempt  of  half-knowledge,  of  a  smattering, 
of  a  dallying  with  the  arts  and  sciences.  Yet  a  slight 
acquaintance  with  the  best  is  better  than  complete  igno- 
rance. Amateurs  make  the  most  appreciative  audiences, 
for,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  it  is  true  that  to  him  who 
hath,  shall  be  given.  Men  are  short-sighted  to  ignore 
the  power  of  women  as  co-workers;  the  dangers  which 
beset  us  need  women  as  well  as  men  to  counteract 
them. 

In  Israel's  history,  even  in  the  most  primitive  stages, 
a  high  position,  both  by  affection  and  custom,  was 
accorded  to  the  wife  and  mother;  her  dignity  and  inde- 
pendence were  always  guarded,  as  with  no  other  nation 
of  antiquity.  Some  of  the  most  beautiful  stories  of  the 
Bible  and  the  Talmud  deal  with  the  relations  between 
mothers  and  children;  the  wife  is  the  help-meet,  the 
equal  of  man,  in  all  affairs,  great  and  small,  pertaining 
to  the  welfare  of  the  family.  The  ancient  idea  of  mar- 
riage was  to  increase  the  family  of  the  bridegroom,  not 
to  found  a  new  one.  "  Thy  God  shall  be  my  God  "  had 
a  different  and  more  restricted  significance  to  the 
ancient  Hebrews  than  it  has  for  us.  The  wife  of  olden 
times  did  not  enter  into  the  full  privileges  of  her  posi- 
tion until  she  had  become  a  mother,  the  mother  of  a 
son;  the  line  of  descent  was  through  the  male  heir,  the 
daughter  did  not  inherit.  Later,  in  talrnudic  days,  the 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  MODERN  DAYS — H.  FRANK.     45 

daughter  might  inherit  when  there  was  no  male  heir. 
The  Jewish  model  wife  in  Proverbs  is  shown  versed  in 
all  the  arts  and  industries  necessary  to  the  production  of 
objects  of  use  and  ornament  in  the  household,  and  pos- 
sessing sufficient  authority  to  buy  a  field,  if  she  deemed 
it  advisable. 

Wives  and  maidens  in  Israel  had  far  more  liberty  than 
the  Oriental  woman  of  to-day,  nor  were  they  kept  in 
seclusion  as  were  the  Greek  women  of  their  time. 

There  was  no  woman  question  among  the  Jews; 
every  woman  was  cared  for  by  her  family;  there  were 
very  few  unmarried  women;  bachelorhood  was  unpopu- 
lar. As  all  industries  clustered  around  the  home,  all 
were  profitably  employed. 

The  ethical  and  social  side  of  the  woman  question, 
which  inquires  how  to  make  of  woman  a  factor  with 
equal  rights  and  equal  duties,  according  to  her  powers, 
for  the  good  of  society,  was  solved  by  them,  but  condi- 
tions have  so  changed,  that  the  problem  must  be  solved 
anew.  It  was  true  then,  as  it  is  now,  that  if  woman 
gains,  the  nation  gains  through  her;  as  mothers,  women 
mold  the  character  of  the  nation,  they  influence  their 
children  in  the  most  plastic  years  of  their  lives. 

Some  of  the  learned  rabbis  of  talmudic  fame  were  in 
favor  of  instructing  the  girls  as  well  as  the  boys  in  the 
Law,  but  the  opposite  view,  that  to  initiate  one's  daugh- 
ters in  the  Law  was  baneful,  finally  triumphed,  and  the 
daughters  were  relegated  to  the  home ;  at  a  later  period* 
we  hear  of  women  who  were  thoroughly  versed  in  the 
studies  pursued  by  their  husbands  and  fathers,  and  fully 
shared  their  intellectual  life. 

When  their  opportunities  are  taken  into  consideration, 
it  must  be  said  that  the  Jewish  women  of  our  day  have 
allowed  themselves  too  often  to  become  mere  lookers-on 
at  the  rich  banquets  of  study  and  of  broad,  practical 


46  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

work.  It  was  not  always  so.  Our  history  teaches  us, 
above  all  things,  that  the  arguments  now  used  for  the 
advancement  of  women  were  practically  illustrated  by 
the  hundreds  of  Jewish  women,  whose  names  are  recorded 
in  the  annals  of  time,  who  distinguished  themselves 
by  their  work  outside  of  the  confines  of  home,  besides 
wearing  the  crown  of  perfect  wifehood  and  motherhood. 
We  hear  of  them  in  mediaeval  times  as  poets  and  writers, 
as  philosophers  and  physicians,  as  women  of  affairs,  aid- 
ing their  husbands  in  great  undertakings  or,  when 
widowed,  engaging  in  them  alone.  Naturally  those  who 
were  distinguished  were  exceptions.  There  never  can 
be  a  dead  level  of  excellence,  else  there  would  be  no  need 
of  history,  nor  any  possibility  of  development.  Jewish 
women  were  zealous  in  promoting  the  spread  of  knowl- 
edge ;  in  the  days  when  printing  was  first  introduced,  we 
read  of  Jewish  women  who  established  printing-houses, 
who  were  practical  type-setters  before  our  Manual  Train- 
ing School  was  dreamed  of ;  who  not  only  helped  to  print 
the  great  works  of  the  past,  but  also  wrote  books  of  in- 
struction, of  history,  of  songs  and  popular  tales,  who 
expressed  themselves,  as  well  as  gave  wings  to  the 
thoughts  of  others.  Some  of  these  women  were  German 
and  Bohemian,  most  of  them  were  Italian  and  Spanish 
Jewesses.  In  all  manner  of  occupation,  in  trades,  indus- 
tries and  professions,  they  contributed  their  share  to  the 
progress  of  culture.  Spanish-Jewish  women  helped  to 
bring  about  a  revival  of  Hebrew  poetry,  to  which  they 
gave  back  grace  and  beauty  and  lyrical  warmth.  From 
the  time  they  had  no  longer  to  tremble  for  their  own 
lives,  they  made  their  lives  of  use  to  others,  less  fortu- 
nate than  themselves,  and  many  are  the  philanthropic 
missions  in  which  they  engaged. 

The  effects  of  the  Thirty  Years'  War,  which  plunged 
Germany  into  barbarism,  and  of  the  Cossack  invasion  of 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  MODERN  DAYS — H.  FRANK.     47 

Poland,  which  brought  endless  suffering,  were  disastrous 
to  the  culture  and  development  of  the  Jews.  The  Ghetto 
reared  its  walls  about  them,  and  they  withdrew  from  the 
common  life,  into  an  atmosphere  of  extreme  ceremonial- 
ism in  religion,  and  of  separation  in  the  ordering  of  their 
lives.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  elevating  influences  of 
their  home  life,  and  for  the  fostering  of  their  intellect 
through  biblical  and  talmudic  studies,  their  keen  interest 
in  the  philosophy  and  the  casuistry  of  talmudic  prob- 
lems, the  Jews  must  have  succumbed  to  the  systematic 
vilification  and  oppression,  their  allotted  portion  during 
the  ages  when  they  were  virtually  slaves  in  most  Euro- 
pean countries.' 

One  cause  of  the  adaptability  of  the  Jew  was  his 
knowledge  of  languages;  he  always  could  think  and 
express  himself  in  one  language  besides  the  Hebrew;  and 
if  to  know  a  language  is  to  enter  into  the  soul-life  of  the 
people  that  speaks  it,  he  must  have  developed  his  powers 
of  adaptability  through  this  knowledge.  Spanish  and 
Italian  Jews  spoke  and  wrote  the  language  of  their 
respective  countries  perfectly,  and  even  Juedisch-Deutsch 
is  a  language  and  not  a  jargon,  we  are  told. 

Owing  to  the  restrictions  and  disabilities  under  which 
the  Jews  labored  in  the  years  succeeding  their  bitterest 
persecutions,  the  Jews  learned  to  consider  themselves,  in 
their  prayers  at  least,  as  living  in  exile;  their  thoughts 
were  turned  to  a  restoration  to  Palestine;  they  wished 
to  remain  strangers  in  a  strange  land,  in  customs  and 
ideals.  Even  in  language,  they  became  separated.  The 
importance  of  Moses  Mendelssohn  for  the  Jews  lay  in 
the  fact,  that  he  re- opened  the  gates  of  the  Ghetto  of  lan- 
guage and  of  thought,  in  translating  the  Pentateuch  into 
pure  German,  and  that,  as  a  writer,  he  entered  into  the 
literary  life  and  general  culture  of  his  day,  and  stood 
abreast  of  the  great  thinkers  of  his  time.  Yet  he 


48  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

remained  an  Oriental  in  the  strict  observance  of  all  the 
forms  and  ceremonies  which  had  come  to  be  identified 
with  true  Judaism.  After  the  revival  of  the  spirit  of 
culture  brought  about  by  his  writings  and  efforts,  a 
re-action  set  in;  many  turned  away  from  Judaism  after 
a  hard  struggle,  because  they  could  not  reconcile  them- 
selves to  the  external  observances  that  were  demanded; 
dogma  and  tradition  brought  religion  to  a  stand-still,  it 
became  a  routine,  in  which  the  form  was  observed,  but 
the  spirit  neglected.  The  new  birth,  in  which  life  was 
freed  from  its  encumbrances,  had  not  yet  come,  and  those 
who  turned  away  were  not  sufficiently  in  advance  of 
their  time  to  find  their  way  out  of  the  labyrinth.  Some 
merely  strained  at  a  gnat;  they  turned  from  ceremonies, 
which  had  ceased  to  have  a  meaning  for  them,  and  threw 
themselves  into  the  current  of  mysticism  and  romanticism 
which  then  prevailed.  Rousseau's  early  ideas,  which  he 
himself  repudiated  in  his  later  years,  had  been  perverted 
into  a  negation  of  the  laws  of  society  governing  man; 
a  loosing  of  bonds  in  every  direction,  a  confounding  of 
liberty  with  license  was  deemed  a  return  to  nature.  It 
was  deemed  less  heroic  to  suffer  than  to  change  condi- 
tions. 

Mendelssohn's  daughters  belonged  to  those  who  de- 
serted the  old  faith.  Dorothea  was  attracted  by  the 
aesthetic  side  of  Catholicism ;  she  loved  the  music,  and 
the  dim  religious  light,  falling  through  stained-glass 
window-panes;  the  externalism  of  the  church  attracted 
her,  the  externalism  of  the  synagogue  repelled  her. 

Many  of  the  women  who  formed  a  social  and  intel- 
lectual power  in  Berlin,  and  whose  salons  were  oases  in 
the  desert  of  Berlin  society,  felt  a  great  chasm  between 
their  own  lives  and  thoughts,  and  those  of  their  co- 
religionists, who  still  adhered  to  the  letter  of  the  law. 
That  which  their  ancestors  had  loved,  had  no  attraction 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  MODERN  DAYS — H.  FRANK.     49 

for  them  ;  Judaism  meant  only  legalism  to  them.  They 
believed  they  were  creating  a  new  world  of  thought, 
and  they  broke  with  their  own  past  and  the  slow  process 
of  development  in  Jewish  circles.  Women  prize  social  / 
life  more  than  men ;  these  women  prized  the  social 
equality  that  was  denied  them  as  Jews,  and  thus  became 
renegades,  trading  their  birthright  for  a  mess  of  pottage. 
The  heroines  that  courted  death,  and  inspired  their 
children  to  defy  torture  rather  than  renounce  the  faith 
of  their  fathers,  were  no  more.  Among  the  men,  some 
forsook  the  ranks  in  order  to  worthily  employ  their  tal- 
ents in  careers  that  were  closed  to  the  Jew,  and  some 
thought  they  would  make  life  more  easy  for  their  chil- 
dren. 

In  our  day,  here  in  America,  the  Jew  suffers  under  no 
political  disabilities,  and  his  educational  advantages  are 
growing  each  year,  the  portals  of  schools  and  universi- 
ties are  open  to  him. 

What  are  the  tendencies  of  the  modern  Jewish  wo- 
man ?  In  how  far  does  she  partake  of  the  broad  life  of 
her  non-Jewish  sister?  What  should  she  assimilate, 
what  must  she  avoid,  what  has  she  to  give? 

The  Jewish  woman  needs  to  be  more  noble,  more  self- 
sacrificing,  more  alive  to  the  ideal,  if  she  would  be 
worthy  of  those  who  have  preceded  her.  Let  her  study 
the  history  of  the  past,  if  she  would  comprehend  the 
present.  Let  her  counteract  all  narrowness,  by  cultivat- 
ing the  great  force  of  intelligence,  the  subduer  of  evil. 
The  mother  is  still  the  most  potent  factor  in  the  world; 
let  her  live  up  to  the  high  standard  set  her  by  the  Jewish 
women  of  the  past,  whose  lives  were  devoted  to  great 
interests.  We  need  more  thoroughness  in  our  work, 
whatever  it  be. 

Judaism  means  progress,  America  means  opportunity. 
Judaism  has  within  itself  the  power  to  assimilate  the 
4 


5O  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

best  thought  of  the  time.  The  world  to-day  recognizes 
in  woman  a  help  in  the  progress  of  the  world  toward  a 
higher  civilization,  and  if  Judaism  would  be  true  to 
itself,  Jewish  women  must  break  the  shackles  that  bind 
them,  and  again  take  a  deep  interest  in  the  great  con- 
cerns of  life. 

If  the  World's  Congresses  have  proved  anything,  they 
have  proved  that  the  essential  qualities  of  womanliness, 
of  grace  and  charm,  are  heightened  rather  than  dimin- 
ished by  the  best  mental  equipment  and  the  greatest 
cultivation,  and  that  women  are  working  faithfully  and 
earnestly  in  research  and  scientific  pursuits,  as  well  as 
in  education  and  philanthropy. 

There  is  a  positive  need  for  women  to  keep  in  touch 
with  the  political  history  of  our  own  country  and  of  all 
the  contemporary  movements;  the  politics  of  to-day 
forms  the  history  of  to-morrow.  While  we  have  only  an 
indirect  interest  in  politics  at  present,  we  need,  for  our 
own  intelligence,  to  follow  the  great  movements  of  to- 
day. It  is  a  matter  of  moment  to  us  how  Zeus  parcels 
out  the  land,  the  marts,  the  rivers,  and  how  the  earth  is 
being  appropriated  to  man's  need  and  greed.  It  broad- 
ens the  mind,  as  travel  does,  to  send  it  out  over  the 
universe;  it  prevents  us  from  dwelling  too  much  upon 
trivial  things.  The  woman  who  takes  an  intelligent 
interest  in  the  great  questions  that  are  agitating  the 
world,  will  not,  therefore,  become  indifferent  to  the 
duties  of  her  own  individual  sphere;  the  habit  of  study 
begets  system,  and  a  systematic  ordering  of  one's  time 
helps  wonderfully  in  the  performance  of  duties  near  at 
hand. 

It  is  not  an  absolute  necessity  to  have  a  society  with 
president  and  officers  in  order  to  accomplish  something. 
We  can  improve  ourselves  without  coming  to  a  certain 
place  at  a  certain  time  to  discuss  a  plan  of  work,  a 


JEWISH  WOMEN  OF  MODERN  DAYS — H.  FRANK.     51 

philosophy,  a  literature.  But  how  many  of  us  are  quite 
independent  of  the  inspiration  and  sympathy  of  minds 
in  touch  with  our  own  ?  Genius  needs  no  club  for  de- 
velopment, but  unfortunately  genius  is  rare,  and  ordinary  "/• 
gifts  need  a  stimulus.  Some  there  be,  who  need  to  come 
only  to  teach,  but  most  of  us  need  to  learn.  Clubs  and 
classes  have  been  of  vast  benefit  to  women,  they  have 
taught  the  value  of  co-operation  for  noble  ends.  Man 
must  work,  and  so  must  woman.  Nature  avenges  her- 
self for  the  neglect  of  faculties,  and  powers  that  lie  too 
long  dormant  become  atrophied.  Woman  as  home- 
maker,  as  purveyor  of  happiness,  as  possessor  of  the  fine 
art  of  housewifery  is  needed  as  much  as  ever,  and  her 
life  in  the  club  can  but  be  helpful  in  all  these  directions,  , 
because  she  learns  to  understand  herself,  and  to  rise 
above  pettiness.  The  education  received  within  the 
club  will  fit  her  to  take  up  duties  outside  of  it. 

Many  Jewish  women  of  America  and  of  Western 
Europe  are  taking  active  part  in  intellectual  labors,  in 
art  and  music,  in  philanthropy  and  education,  and  are 
working  as  journalists  and  writers.  While  all  cannot 
distinguish  themselves  in  these  paths,  all  can  cultivate 
the  best  within  themselves.  Life,  too,  is  an  art,  the  art 
of  living  is  one  that  we  must  foster  for  ourselves  and  for 
others.  In  our  social  life,  we  must  cultivate  the  ame- 
nities and  all  that  is  refining,  all  that  tends  to  make 
it  beautiful  and  perfect,  and  to  lend  it  a  lovelier  set- 
ting. Whether  as  wife,  the  counselor  and  help-meet,  as 
mother,  the  guardian  and  inspiration,  as  intellectual  and 
practical  worker,  the  Jewish  woman  of  to-day  can  be 
guided  by  the  lives  of  the  Jewish  women  of  the  past. 

At  the  close  of  the  session,  by  request  of  the  Chair- 
man, the  Rev.  Dr.  K.  Kohler,  of  New  York,  and  the 
Rev.  Dr.  E.  G.  Hirsch,  of  Chicago,  addressed  the  meeting. 


TUESDAY,  SEPTEMBER  5,  1893,  9.30  A.  M. 

Mrs.  I.  S.  Moses  was  introduced  by  the  Chairman  as 
the  honorary  presiding  officer  of  the  session. 

WOMAN  IN  THE  SYNAGOGUE. 


RAY  FRANK,  OAKLAND,  CAL. 


Duality  manifests  itself  in  all  things,  but  in  nothing 
is  this  two-foldness  more  plainly  seen  than  in  woman's 
nature. 

The  weaker  sex  physically,  it  is  the  stronger  spirit- 
ually,  it  having  been  said  that  religion  were  impossible 
without  woman.  And  yet  the  freedom  of  the  human 
soul  has  been  apparently  effected  by  man.  I  say  appar- 
ently effected,  for  experience  has  demonstrated,  and 
history  records,  that  one  element  possessed  by  woman 
has  made  her  the  great  moral,  the  great  motif  force  of 
the  world,  though  she  be,  as  all  great  forces  are,  a  silent 
force. 

It  may  be  true  that  sin  came  into  the  world  because 
of  the  disobedience  of  the  first  woman,  but  woman  has 
long  since  atoned  for  it  by  her  loving  faith,  her  blind 
trust  in  the  Unknown.  Down  through  the  ages,  tradi- 
tional and  historical,  she  has  come  to  us  the  symbol  of 
faith  and  freedom,  of  loyalty  and  love. 

From  the  beginning,  she  sought  knowledge;  per- 
ceive, it  does  not  say  wisdom,  but  knowledge;  and  this 
was  at  the  expense  of  an  Eden.  She  lost  Eden,  but  she 
gained  that  wisdom  which  has  made  sure  of  man's 
immortality. 

(52) 


WOMEN  IN  THE  SYNAGOGUE — R.  FRANK.          53 

She  walked  upon  thorns,  she  bled;  but  so  sincerely 
repentant  was  she,  so  firmly  rooted  had  become  her  faith 
in  the  Almighty,  that  no  amount  of  suffering,  no 
change  of  time  and  circumstance,  could  destroy  it. 
With  repentance  something  had  sprung  up,  and  blos- 
somed in  her  being,  an  imperishable  flower,  beautiful, 
fragrant,  making  the  world  bright  and  sweet. 

This  flower  twined  itself  round  man,  its  odors 
refreshed  and  strengthened  him;  its  essence  healed  him 
when  wounded,  and  nerved  him  on  to  gallant  and  noble 
deeds.  It  is  the  breath  of  life  in  him,  and  he  must 
needs  be  careful  of  its  clinging  stems,  its  tender  leaves, 
for  they  are  rooted  in  a  woman's  heart. 

In  mother,  wife,  sister,  sweetheart,  lies  the  most  pre- 
cious part  of  man.  In  them  he  sees  perpetual  reminders 
of  the  death-sin,  guarantees  of  immortality.  Think, 
woman,  what  your  existence  means  to  man;  dwell  well 
on  your  responsibility;  and  now  let  us  turn  to  that  part 
of  time  called  the  past,  more  particularly  biblical  days. 
The  religious  life  of  the  early  Israelites  is  so  closely 
interwoven  with  their  domestic  and  political  life,  that  it 
cannot  be  separated  and  treated  alone.  Amidst  all  kind 
of  tribal  and  national  strife,  the  search  for  knowledge 
of  Javeh  went  on  in  so  even  a  way,  so  indifferent  to  men 
and  things,  as  no  other  investigation  has  done.  The 
soul  of  mankind  could  not  be  quieted  concerning  this 
matter,  and  religion  from  its  very  nature  evolved  itself. 

That  this  was,  in  its  entirety,  due  to  no  one  people  is 
just  as  true  as  that  it  was  due  to  no  one  sex. 

To  the  Israelite,  because  of  his  sensitive,  superior 
nature,  was  revealed  that  first  great  truth  of  "  I  am  the 
Lord  thy  God,"  and  to  them,  throughout  the  genera- 
tions, was  given  the  command  to  spread  His  truth.  But 
when  the  Lord  said  to  Moses,  "  And  ye  shall  be  unto  Me 
a  nation  of  priests  and  a  holy  nation,"  the  message  was 


54  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

not  to  one  sex;  and  that  the  Israelites  did  not  so  con- 
sider it,  is  proved  by  the  number  of  women  who  were 
acknowledged  prophets,  and  who  exercised  great  influ- 
ence on  their  time  and  on  posterity. 

The  Talmud  speaks  of  seven  prophetesses:  Sarah, 
Miriam,  Deborah,  Hannah,  Abigail,  Huldah  and  Esther. 
Ruth  not  being  mentioned  in  this  list,  we  infer  that  she 
was  regarded  simply  as  a  religious  teacher.  Except  in 
the  Talmud,  Sarah  is  not  mentioned  as  possessing  the 
inspirational  power,  which  made  the  prophets  of  old; 
yet,  there  is  that  chronicled  of  her  which  gives  rise  to 
the  assumption  that,  for  a  time  at  least,  she  was  the 
greatest  of  them  all.  For  in  Genesis  xxi.  1 2  is  recorded 
the  only  instance  of  the  Lord's  especially  commanding 
one  of  His  favorites  to  listen  carefully  to  a  woman:  "  In 
all  that  Sarah  may  say  unto  thee,  hearken  unto  her 
voice." 

Evidently,  the  Almighty  deemed  a  woman  capable 
both  of  understanding  and  advising. 

That  Miriam,  the  sister  of  Moses,  was  a  woman  of  ex- 
traordinary mind  is  evidenced  by  the  words  of  Moses  to 
herself  and  Aaron  when  he  journeyed  to  the  mount; 
and  from  the  prominence  given  the  word  prophetess 
prior  to  recording  the  words  of  her  triumphant  song,  it 
is  evident  that  she  must  have  been  one  of  the  leaders  in 
Israel  before  the  journey  across  the  sea  was  made. 

The  one  compliment  paid  Moses  for  his  faithful  ser- 
vice is  that  which  speaks  of  him  as  a  man  of  exceeding 
modesty  ;  and  it  is  pleasant  to  reflect  that  in  the  words 
of  Israel's  greatest  woman,  Deborah,  can  be  found  that 
same  beautiful  characteristic.  When  reminding  Barak 
that,  if  he  goes  not  alone  to  smite  the  foe,  to  a  woman 
will  be  accredited  the  glory,  she  speaks  as  though  loth 
that  it  should  be  thus;  and  when,  in  the  name  of  Javeh, 
she  leads  the  army,  she  says  not,  "  I  will  do  this  or 


WOMEN  IN  THE  SYNAGOGUE — R.  FRANK.          55 

that,"  but,  "  Barak,  up  !  for  this  is  the  day  ou  which  God 
will  deliver  Sisera  into  my  hands."  Of  great  modesty 
was  this  wife  of  L,apidoth,  whether  as  ruler,  warrior, 
poet  or  prophet;  a  woman  whose  influence  in  her  time 
was  mighty,  and  whose  glorious,  inspiring  words  still 
live. 

The  life  of  Hannah  inculcates  more  deeply  a  lesson 
which  we  women  must  learn  than  that  of  any  of  our  sex 
mentioned  in  the  Bible.  Greatest  and  best  among  women 
is  she  who  is  a  wise  mother;  for  the  children  are  the 
Lord's,  the  heirs  of  Heaven.  Blessed  beyond  all  is  she 
who  dedicates  her  offspring  to  the  Eternal.  Who  need 
wonder  at  the  song  which  rose  so  joyously  from  the  heart 
of  Hannah,  for  she  was  truly  an  inspired  prophetess,  she 
was  a  wise  mother ! 

Abigail,  Huldah  and  Esther  are  the  others  mentioned 
in  the  Talmud.  The  story  of  the  latter  is  so  well  known, 
her  courage  and  piety  are  so  justly  celebrated  on  our 
Feast  of  Purim  that  I  will  not  dwell  longer  upon  them. 
From  the  scarcity  of  names  mentioned,  we  are  not  to 
conclude  that  only  a  few  women  were  teachers  in  Israel 
at  this  time;  but  rather  that  to  woman  was  entrusted  all 
that  appertained  to  the  domestic  life;  and  in  the  per- 
formance of  these  duties  her  personality  was  merged  in 
that  of  her  husband.  That  she  was  capable  of  perform- 
ing heroic  deeds  is  evidenced  by  the  legends  of  Jael  and 
Judith.  The  intense  excitement  of  the  periods  in  which 
these  women  lived  is  supposed  to  have  permitted  them 
for  a  time  to  forget  strict  morality  and  loving  mercy. 
Crude  and  almost  repulsive  in  their  invention,  the  nar- 
ratives serve  to  show  that  weak  woman  was  regarded  as 
capable  of  performing  for  God  and  country  heroic  deeds, 
deeds  from  which  strong  men  might  have  shrunk.  Her 
faith  under  the  most  trying  circumstances  was  sublime; 
and  nothing  more  effective  is  recorded  of  piety  embracing 


56  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

death  than  the  martyrdom  of  the  Maccabean  Hannah 
or  Miriam,  who  unhesitatingly  gave  to  immortality  her- 
self and  her  seven  sons.  Other  illustrations  pale  beside 
this  magnificent  heroism  of  a  woman  in  whom  rested  the 
Almighty. 

From  any  point  of  view,  enough  has  been  recorded  to 
show  that  when  she  led,  she  led  successfully.  However, 
the  ancient  Jewish  woman  was,  above  all,  wife  and 
mother,  and  as  such  she  was  a  religious  teacher,  and 
closely  associated  with  what  might  be  called  the  temple- 
worship  of  those  days.  The  life  of  the  woman  of 
patriarchal  times  was  clean  and  elevating,  there  was 
nothing  slavish  about  it;  and  when  one  considers  that  the 
Jewish  Law  permitted  polygamy,  and  that  even  with  the 
debasing  influences  of  harem  life  instituted  by  Solomon, 
the  Jews  became  a  monogamous  people,  one  can  under- 
stand the  extraordinary  influence  of  the  Jewish  woman 
to  whom  this  important  fact  is  due. 

"  One  woman,  a  good  one,  is  the  light  of  a  man's 
existence,"  sang  an  inspired  sage. 

Women  of  other  nations  soon  learned  to  contrast  the 
life  of  the  Jewish  woman  with  their  own,  and  the  first 
converts  to  Judaism  were  women  from  the  neighboring 
idolatrous  tribes.  The  emotional  nature  of  Jewish  women 
made  them  fit  instruments  to  celebrate  the  joys  of  heaven 
and  earth,  and  the  finest  things  in  our  sacred  literature  are 
believed  by  many  critics  to  have  come  spontaneously 
from  our  women's  hearts  and  tongues. 

If  the  woman  of  apocryphal  times  does  not  always  ap- 
pear sharply  outlined  in  her  work,  it  is,  as  we  have  said, 
owing  to  the  deep  workings  of  the  wife  and  mother 
principle,  which  was  striving  to  manifest  itself  as  the  axis 
of  woman's  world.  Slowly,  unevenly,  events  moved 
round,  and  in  the  Grseco-Roman  period  we  find  the 
capricious  jolts  and  jars  lessening,  until  in  mediaeval 


WOMEN  IN  THE  SYNAGOGUE — R.  FRANK.          57 

times  the  Jewish  wife  represents  all  that  is  pure  and 
noble  in  womanhood. 

During  the  Graeco-Roman  period,  two  queens  stand  out 
as  prominently  influencing  religious  matters.  Queen 
Salome,  who  was  born  in  Jerusalem  about  the  year  143 
B.  C.,  was  of  great  wisdom  and  remarkable  energy. 
Filled  with  the  spirit  of  the  Chasidim,  with  ideals  pure 
and  lofty,  she  early  resolved  to  aid  the  faith  in  which  she 
believed.  The  times  were  among  the  fiercest  recorded 
by  Israel,  and  great  diplomacy  was  necessary  to  avoid 
dissensions.  But  through  disasters  of  every  nature,  she 
remained  constant  to  her  principles,  and  at  all  times 
level-headed.  Her  tact  and  her  power  to  remain  impas- 
sive under  the  most  awful  circumstances  are  almost 
unparalleled  in  history.  Her  sole  ambition  was  to  preserve 
to  the  people  their  Pharisaic  worship,  and  this  she  did  by 
the  most  heroic  teachings. 

Among  proselytes,  Helena,  Queen  of  Adiabene,  born 
152  years  B.  C.,  is  mentioned  in  the  Talmud  as  having 
done  much  for  Judaism.  She  and  her  son  were  both 
converted  to  this  faith,  and  in  turn  became  teachers  of 
religion,  remaining  true  to  the  Jewish  nation  to  the  end. 

The  position  of  the  mediaeval  woman  differed  from 
that  of  her  ancient  sister.  Forced  by  circumstances  at 
times  to  become  a  leader,  her  personality  no  longer 
merged  itself  in  that  of  her  husband,  but  ran  parallel 
with  his.  Tribal  wars  for  political  supremacy  did  not 
now  agitate  the  people,  for  existence  had,  in  most  cases, 
become  an  individual  struggle.  The  princes  of  Judah 
were  dethroned,  their  lands,  the  possession  of  strangers; 
yet  the  law  lived,  better  understood  and  more  sacredly 
guarded  than  ever.  That  this  was  owing,  in  the  greatest 
degree,  to  the  women  is  shown  by  the  numbers  men- 
tioned in  the  Talmud  as  learned  mothers  and  teachers. 
The  Jews  were  stripped  of  many  precious  •  things  by 


58  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

their  oppressors,  ofttimes  their  relentless  persecutors,  yet 
the  Torah  held  such  consolations  that  the  family-home 
became  to  the  Jew  the  most  beautiful,  the  most  sacred 
thing  in  the  world.  Of  the  love  of  a  pure  wife  and 
reverent,  obedient  children,  nothing  could  rob  him,  and  he 
was,  indeed,  blessed  beyond  all  that  sought  to  harm  him. 
The  prophecy  of  Lemuel's  mother  had  been  faithfully 
realized;  and  as  we  look  through  the  mist  of  centuries,  the 
sunlight  clears  grayness,  and  we  read:  "  Many  daughters 
have  done  virtuously;  but  thou  excellest  them  all." 

True  help-mate  was  the  mediaeval  woman,  combining 
with  greatest  intelligence,  stern  purpose  and  the  softest 
maternal  qualities. 

During  the  period  of  happiness  permitted  them  by 
Moorish  and  Spanish  rule,  our  women  rose  to  eminence 
intellectually  and  socially.  But  note  how  the  learning 
always  leaned  toward  the  elevation  of  the  home.  That 
part  of  the  Bible  which  concerned  the  home  life  became 
their  especial  study,  and  as  practical  preachers  of  religion, 
they  have  never  been  excelled,  for  they  practiced  what 
they  preached. 

Among  the  women  of  early  mediaeval  times,  Ima 
Shalom,  Rachel  and  Beruria  are  representative.  The 
father  of  Ima  was  president  of  the  Sanhedrim,  and  a 
descendant  of  Hillel.  Her  husband,  the  most  noted 
rabbi  of  his  day,  found  in  her  an  intellectual  equal,  and 
many  were  the  knotty  questions  submitted  to  her  judg- 
ment. Had  it  not  been  for  the  self-sacrificing  and 
deeply  religious  nature  of  Rachel  Sabua,  history  would 
scarcely  have  had  an  Akiba,  while  Beruria,  wife  of 
Rabbi  Meir,  who  lived  about  100  A.  D.,  was  of  such 
powerful  intellect  that  she  became  noted  throughout  the 
land.  All  that  she  said  concerning  disputed  points  of 
the  Halacha  received  the  attention  of  her  contemporaries. 
Poetry  and  prose  testify  to  her  worth. 


WOMEN  IN  THE  SYNAGOGUE — R.  FRANK.          59 

Graetz  mentions  Bellet,  the  daughter  of  Menachem, 
who  lived  in  Orleans  in  the  year  1050  A.  D.,  as  one  who 
was  talmudically  learned,  and  who  taught  the  women 
of  her  town  their  religious  duties.  Hannah,  sister  of 
Rabbi  Jacob  Tarn,  of  Orleans,  and  a  whole  circle  of 
learned  women  in  the  family  of  Rashi,  of  whom  may  be 
mentioned  Rachel,  his  daughter,  and  Anna  and  Miriam, 
his  granddaughters,  were  highly  educated,  and  acted  as 
teachers  of  religion.  They  paid  particular  attention  to 
instructing  women  regarding  culinary  matters,  on  which 
Mosaism  laid  the  greatest  stress. 

Zunz  calls  the  mother  of  the  chief  rabbi  of  France, 
Mattathias  Ben  Joseph  Provenci,  and  wife  of  Rabbi 
Joseph  Ben  Jochanan,  "well  nigh  a  lady  rabbi,"  and 
accords  her  great  praise  for  her  original  and  sensible 
interpretation  of  the  dietary  laws. 

Rabbi  Samuel  ben  Hallevi,  who  flourished  in  Bagdad 
in  the  year  1200,  had  a  daughter,  Bath  Hallevi,  who 
delivered  in  public  biblical  lectures  to  men.  She  was 
screened  from  her  audience  by  sitting  in  a  kind  of  box 
whose  windows  had  in  them  panes  of  opaque  glass. 

A  rabbinical  college  had  for  its  principal  Miriam 
Shapira,  and  her  lectures  to  the  students  are  said  to  have 
compared  favorably  with  those  of  her  contemporaries. 
Dolce,  wife  of  Rabbi  Eleazer  ben  Jehudah  Rokeach,  of 
Worms,  a  remarkably  learned  woman,  lived  a  saintly 
life,  preaching  to  the  women  their  duties.  She  with  her 
two  children  died  the  death  of  a  martyr,  being  slain  by 
the  Knights  of  Malta,  at  Erfurt,  in  1214. 

In  the  Hebrew  encyclopaedia  compiled  by  Dr.  Gold- 
man and  his  associates,  and  edited  in  Warsaw  in  1818, 
is  found  an  account  of  a  remarkable  woman,  Donna  Ben- 
venida  Abarbanel.  Her  husband  was  treasurer  of  the 
king  of  Naples,  and  into  her  charge  the  prime  minister 
of  Naples  gave  the  education  of  his  daughter,  the 


60  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

princess  Leonora.  The  intelligence  and  righteousness  of 
Donna  Benvenida  were  known  throughout  the  land,  and 
her  association  with  the  princess  continued  long  after  the 
latter's  marriage.  It  is  said  that  her  royal  charge  esteemed 
her  as  a  mother,  and  that  in  all  her  work  this  good  Jewess 
never  forgot  her  creed  and  her  people. 

Inasmuch  as  all  appertaining  to  Judaism  belongs  to 
the  temple,  so  the  connection  of  this  great  woman  with 
the  synagogue  is  not  to  be  doubted. 

In  about  1532,  the  priests  who  presided  over  the  Inqui- 
sition petitioned  the  king  to  drive  out  the  remnant  of 
Jews  from  southern  Italy.  The  petition  was  granted. 
But  Donna  Benvenida,  with  great  diplomacy,  succeeded 
through  the  princess  in  having  the  edict  revoked.  From 
various  writings  by  the  clever  men  of  that  day,  one  learns 
that  the  highest  praise  was  given  this  woman. 

From  the  book  of  the  memorial  of  the  dead  of  the 
Jewish  congregation  at  Worms,  I  have  taken  the  follow- 
ing names,  they  serving  to  show  what  the  women  of  Israel 
at  this  time  did  for  religion.  Here  is  an  epitaph:  "Eva, 
daughter  of  Isaac  Leipnitz,  wife  of  Abraham  Samuel, 
Rabbi  of  Worms.  Her  name  shall  be  remembered  be- 
cause she  was  profoundly  learned,  and  because  she  was 
conversant  in  the  Bible  and  all  its  commentaries  and  the 
Midrash.  There  was  no  woman  before  her  so  deeply 
learned."  "  Remembered,  the  aged  Rebecca,  daughter 
of  Jeremiah  Neustadt,  because  she  regularly  attended 
synagogue,  morning  and  evening,  devoting  all  her  life 
to  benevolence.  She  spun  without  charge  Tzitzith  for  all 
who  needed  them,  and  gave  of  her  own  money  to  the 
synagogue."  "  Remembered,  the  pious  and  esteemed 
Miriam  Sinzheim,  daughter  of  Joseph  Sinzheim  of 
Vienna,  who  went  regularly  to  the  synagogue,  morning 
and  evening,  praying  with  devotion  and  giving  all  her 
life  to  benevolence.  She  supported  students  of  the  Bible 


WOMEN  IN  THE  SYNAGOGUE — R.  FRANK.          61 

in  various  congregations,  especially  in  ours  of  Worms.  She 
builded  the  synagogue  of  the  great  Rabbi  Rashi  (Solomon 
ben  Isaac),  establishing  free  seminaries  and  stipending 
students."  Women  of  the  nineteenth  century!  These  are 
but  a  few  names  from  among  the  many  on  the  old  grave 
stones,  testifying  to  the  splendid  work  done  for  the  syna- 
gogue by  women,  at  a  time  when  obstacles  made  up 
their  lives.  In  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
Krendel  Steinhardt,  a  member  of  a  gifted  family  of 
rabbis,  obtained  distinction  for  her  knowledge  of  the  fes- 
tival prayers,  the  Machsor,  and  for  cleverly  interpreting 
the  Midrash.  She  was  known  as  the  "  Rebbezin."  Sarah 
Oppenheimer,  daughter  of  the  chief  rabbi  of  Prague, 
wrote  a  Meghilla,  a  scroll  of  the  book  of  Esther,  while 
Sprenza  Kempler,  blessed  with  beauty,  knowledge  and 
piety,  could  quote  the  Mishna  from  memory.  Bienvineda, 
wife  of  Rabbi  Mordecai,  of  Padua,  was  of  such  rare 
intelligence  that  she  held  disputations  on  the  Talmud  and 
the  Mishna  with  some  of  the  greatest  scholars  of  her  day. 

The  list  is  a  long  one,  and  each  name  reflects  intelli- 
gence and  piety.  But  enough  has  been  given  to  disprove 
all  doubts  as  to  the  Jewish  woman's  capability  in  relig- 
ious matters,  both  as  pupil  and  instructor.  If  to  the 
men  of  these  times  be  accorded  credit  for  having  per- 
formed their  duties  well,  if  as  scholars,  as  expounders 
of  the  Law,  they  live  in  fame,  what  shall  we  say  of 
the  women  who,  under  the  most  adverse  circumstances, 
rose  to  eminence  in  this  same  field  of  labor  ?  With  one 
or  two  exceptions,  they  were  all  wives  and  mothers,  most 
of  them  wives  of  rabbis,  and  in  the  discharge  of  their 
duties  no  one  thing  was  done  at  the  expense  of  another. 

Intellectually  they  were  the  compeers  of  their  hus- 
bands; practically,  they  excelled  them.  They  built 
synagogues,  controlled  colleges,  and  stipended  students. 
All  in  all,  they  have  in  the  past  earned  the  right  to 


62  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

the  pulpit,  even  as  nature  created  their  sensitive  beings 
to  act  as  its  finest  interpreter. 

Jewish  woman  had  earned  the  right  to  the  pulpit, 
though  she  never  formally  asked  it  of  the  people,  but  that 
they  would  not  have  wholly  opposed  it,  may  be  inferred 
from  a  romance  of  Bernstein's,  "  Voegele,  der  Maggid," 
probably  founded  on  facts. 

Voegele  was  an  itinerant  preacher,  and  that  she  com- 
bined the  lovable  qualities  of  the  woman  with  her  chosen 
work  is  shown  by  the  fervent  words  of  the  hero  who  says 
to  her,  "  Your  hand  makes  the  Bethhamedrash  light." 
To  our  times  and  to  our  country  in  particular,  the  Jewish 
woman  is  indebted  for  many  changes  in  her  relation  to 
the  synagogue,  and  this  progress  is  mainly  due  to  one 
man,  whose  decided  stand  as  a  liberalist,  in  all  matters 
concerning  woman  and  her  work,  earns  our  hearty  thanks. 
I  refer  to  our  revered  rabbi,  Dr.  Wise,  of  Cincinnati. 

With  added  privileges  and  numberless  innovations,  let 
us  see  what  is  the  religious  status  of  the  Jewish  woman 
of  to-day.  Compare  her  with  the  woman  of  the  Apoc- 
rypha we  will  not,  for  it  would  be  unjust  to  both.  The 
one  was  the  result  of  a  great  spiritual  revelation  and 
chaotic  material  circumstances  pressing  against  and 
whirling  round  each  other,  leaving  as  a  resultant  the 
keen-visioned,  practical  woman  of  the  Middle  Ages,  one 
whose  knowledge  was  of  men,  and  whose  wisdom  was 
of  God.  Calamitous  as  were  the  days,  our  mothers  rose 
to  meet  them,  each  time  victorious.  Their  children  re- 
ceived, as  a  heritage,  patience,  courage,  fidelity,  reverence, 
honest,  God-fearing  souls,  the  richest  treasures  of  men. 
What  matter  how  the  winds  of  fortune  blew,  the  Jew  was 
secure  from  total  shipwreck.  He  carried  as  a  talisman 
the  instructions  of  his  mother.  When  persecution  drove 
him  from  shore  to  shore,  he  journeyed  across  unknown 
seas,  and  finding  a  new  Canaan  cried,  "  Hear,  O  Israel, 


WOMEN  IN  THE  SYNAGOGUE — R.  FRANK.          63 

the  Lord  our  God,  the  Lord  is  one ! "  and  so  dedicated  a 
new  home. 

Centuries  have  passed;  the  wilderness  is  the  pride  of 
the  world,  for  it  is  all  a  land  of  freedom,  of  homes;  and 
the  Jew,  we  find  him  so  grateful  that  he  has  well-nigh 
forgotten  to  what  he  owes  his  salvation.  He  has  forgot- 
ten, else  how  explain  the  empty  temples,  the  lack  of 
religious  enthusiasm,  lack  of  reverence  of  children  for 
parents,  lack  of  that  sacred  home  life  which  has  made  us 
an  honored  place  in  history  ?  That  our  women  have  not 
made  of  themselves  Dinah  Morrises  and  "  Voegele  der 
Maggids  "  we  can  forgive,  but  that  we  have  removed  so 
many  of  the  ancient  landmarks  which  our  fathers  estab- 
lished, can  we  forgive  ourselves  for  that  ? 

That  we  have  not  possessed  ourselves  of  the  wisdom 
of  her  who  builded  her  own  house  can  hardly  be  par- 
doned us,  for  what  can  replace  the  priceless  love  which 
has  bound  the  members  of  the  Jewish  family  to  each 
other  and  to  their  God  ?  Learning  is  not  wisdom.  Inno- 
vation is  not  progress,  and  to  be  identical  with  man  is 
not  the  ideal  of  womanhood.  Some  things  and  privi- 
leges belong  to  him  by  nature;  to  these,  true  woman 
does  not  aspire;  but  every  woman  should  aspire  to  make 
of  her  home  a  temple,  of  herself  a  high  priestess,  of  her 
children  disciples,  then  will  she  best  occupy  the  pulpit, 
and  her  work  run  parallel  with  man's.  She  may  be 
ordained  rabbi  or  be  the  president  of  a  congregation — 
she  is  entirely  able  to  fill  both  offices — but  her  noblest 
work  will  be  at  home,  her  highest  ideal,  a  home.  Our 
women,  living  in  a  century  and  in  a  country  which 
gives  them  every  opportunity  to  improve,  are  not  making 
the  most  of  themselves,  and  to  the  stranger,  the  non- 
Jew,  who  views  us  critically,  we  are  not  entirely  an 
improvement  upon  our  mothers  of  old.  We  may  dress 
with  better  taste,  we  may  know  more  ologies,  we  may 


64  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

discuss  high  art,  but  we  no  longer  offer  up  such  reverent 
homage  to  the  Almighty,  as  that  which  was  given  in 
times  of  direst  distress  and  persecution,  and  which 
yielded  so  rich  a  harvest  as  an  America,  in  which  to 
enjoy  life  and  liberty  to  the  utmost.  How  is  this  liberty 
enjoyed  ?  Go  to  the  synagogue  on  Friday  night;  where 
are  the  people  ?  Our  men  cannot  attend,  keen  business 
competition  will  not  permit  them.  Where  are  our 
women  ?  Keener  indulgence  in  pleasures  will  not  per- 
mit them.  Where  are  the  children  ?  Keenest  parental 
examples  of  grasping  gain  and  material  desires  will  not 
permit  them,  and  so  the  synagogue  is  deserted.  Go 
there  on  a  Saturday,  the  day  of  rest,  of  holy  convocation. 
Where  are  the  people  ?  Our  men  are  at  their  shops,  our 
women  doing  the  shopping,  calling,  or  at  the  theatre; 
every  one  and  everything  can  be  attended  to  but  God. 
For  Him  they  have  no  time.  With  whom  lies  the 
blame  ?  Where  are  the  wise  mothers  of  Israel  to-day  ? 
As  we  sow,  so  we  must  reap.  Costly  temples  with 
excuses  for  congregations  will  not  do,  friends.  Better 
the  old  tent  for  a  dwelling,  the  trees  and  skies  for  syna- 
gogues, and  reverent,  God-fearing  men  and  women,  than 
our  present  poor  apology  for  religious  worship. 

The  world  calls  the  nineteenth  century  Jew  material- 
istic, the  Jew  denies  it,  but  denial  is  not  refutation. 

It  is  time  we  stopped  calling  ourselves  chosen,  it  is 
time  we  stopped  living  upon  our  past,  time  we  prove 
we  have  been  chosen  a  nation  of  priests  by  fulfill- 
ing His  law.  Many  an  one  has  been  chosen  for  some 
noble  mission  who  never  attempted  its  completion,  and 
it  would  be  illogical  to  credit  such  an  one  with  any  great 
merit.  That  we  are  now  in  the  position  of  backsliders 
is  owing  to  us  women. 

Where  are  the  Hannahs  who  cry  as  she  of  old,  "  For 
this  lad  did  I  pray;  and  the  Lord  hath  granted  me  my 


W.OMEN  IN  THE  SYNAGOGUE — R.  FRANK.          65 

petition  which  I  asked  of  Him.  Therefore  also  have  I 
lent  Him  for  my  part  to  the  Lord;  all  the  days  that 
have  been  assigned  to  him  shall  he  be  lent  to  the  Lord." 

Sisters,  our  work  in  and  for  the  synagogue  lies  in 
bringing  to  the  Temple  the  Samuels  to  fulfil  the  Law.      / 
As  mothers  in  Israel  I  appeal  to  you  to  first  make  of  our 
homes  temples,  to  rear  each  child  a  priest  by  teaching 
him  to  be  true  to  himself. 

If  the  synagogues  are  then  deserted,  let  it  be  because 
the  homes  are  filled,  then  we  will  be  a  nation  of  priests; 
edifices  of  worship  will  be  everywhere.  What  matter 
whether  we  women  are  ordained  rabbis  or  not  ?  We  are 
capable  of  fulfilling  the  office,  and  the  best  way  to  prove 
it  is  to  convert  ourselves  and  our  families  into  reverent 
beings.  To  simply  be  ordained  priest  is  not  enough,  and 
the  awful  punishment  which  befell  Eli  is  the  best  illus- 
tration of  this.  Nothing  can  replace  the  duty  of  the 
mother  in  the  home.  Nothing  can  replace  the  reverence 
of  children,  and  the  children  are  yours  to  do  as  ye  will 
with  them. 

Mothers,  ye  can  restore  Israel's  glory,  can  fulfil  the 
prophecy  by  bringing  the  man-child,  strong  love  of  the 
Eternal,  to  his  Maker. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  I.  S.  Moses,  of  Chicago,  was  called  upon 
to  discuss  the  paper,  "Woman  in  the  Synagogue."  Miss 
Rebecca  Lesem,  of  Quincy,  111.,  then  read  a  portion  of  a 
paper  on  "  Advance  Sabbath  School  Work,"  prepared 
for  the  Sabbath  Visitor  Association. 


INFLUENCE  OF  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA 
ON  THE  JEWS. 


PAULINE  HANAUER  ROSENBERG,  ALLEGHENY,  PA. 


Events  follow  each  other  in  natural  sequence;  and  as 
"by  the  law  of  universal  gravitation,  every  particle  of 
matter  in  the  universe  exerts  an  influence  on  every  other 
particle,  and  is  in  turn  influenced  by  it,  so  the  events  in 
history  exert  their  influence  upon  those  which  follow, 
and  the  last  epoch  sheds  its  light  on  those  which  have 
preceded. 

To  fully  understand  the  influence  of  any  special  event 
upon  a  particular  people,  a  knowledge  of  previous  con- 
ditions is  necessary.  Turn  back  the  pages  of  centuries, 
and  behold  a  small  section  of  the  Hebrew  group  leaving 
Palestine  to  occupy  the  more  fertile  pasture  lands  in 
Egypt.  The  subsequent  slavery  of  the  Jews  in  that 
country,  their  deliverance  thence,  their  sojourn  in  the 
wilderness  until  the  conquest  of  Canaan,  are  familiar.  In 
an  age  when  conquerors  either  annihilated,  or  made  slaves 
of,  the  conquered,  the  Israelites  amalgamated  with  the 
Canaanites,  absorbing  their  culture,  and  in  turn  impart- 
ing the  Mosaic  doctrine  to  them.  This  was  the  begin- 
ning of  their  history  as  a  nation,  which,  like  all  others, 
had  its  rise  and  fall.  Beginning  by  subjugating  its 
enemies  and  afterward  in  quest  of  territory  and  plunder, 
the  period  of  war  was  followed  by  prosperity  under  the 
judges  and  the  kings.  The  prophets  flourished,  litera- 
ture, philosophy,  science  and  arts  were  cultivated.  Other 
ancient  nations  existed  on  a  purely  political  basis  with  a 
religion  as  their  outgrowth,  but  Israel  was  composed  of 

(66) 


THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA — ROSENBERG.        67 

a  union  of  tribes  with  religion  as  its  basis,  the  political 
union  being  an  outgrowth  and  a  secondary  condition. 
The  worship  of  one  true  God,  Jehovah,  was  its  supreme 
business  and  pleasure,  and  all  the  glorious  and  splendid 
achievements  may  be  attributed  to  this  doctrine.  Judah 
flourished  as  a  nation  until  the  dispersion,  about  586  B.C., 
when  in  a  war  with  Nebuchadnezzar,  Jerusalem  was  taken 
by  storm,  its  Temple  reduced  to  ruin,  and  the  larger  por- 
tion of  its  inhabitants  deported  to  Babylon.  Thus  exiled 
in  Chaldaea,  some  lapsed  into  heathenism,  but  many 
continued  faithful  to  Jehovah,  and  although  they  could 
keep  no  religious  feasts  as  in  the  Holy  L,and,  the  habit 
of  meeting,  and  reading  from  the  prophetic  writings  as 
an  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  which  developed  the  syna- 
gogue, came  into  use  at  this  time.  L,ater,  Cyrus  gave  the 
exiles  permission  to  return  to  their  fatherland,  but  only 
a  small  number  availed  themselves  of  this  permission.  In 
445  B.  C.  a  Jew,  Nehemiah  ben  Hakelejah,  was  appointed 
as  Persian  governor  of  Judaea.  The  subsequent  history  of 
the  Jews  in  the  East  is  identified  with  the  revolutions  fre- 
quent in  that  section:  from  a  Chaldsean  province  Palestine 
became  a  Persian,  a  Greek,  and  an  Egyptian  possession, 
until  Pompey's  conquest  subjected  it  to  Roman  rule. 

With  each  change  of  power,  the  dispersing  of  the  Jews 
becomes  more  complete;  their  settlement  was  encouraged 
everywhere,  and  under  the  Ptolemies  in  Egypt,  they 
received  preference  over,  and  in  consequence  earned  the 
hatred  of,  the  indigenous  population.  At  the  beginning 
of  the  Christian  era,  the  Jews  were  more  populous  and 
powerful  in  every  civilized  country  than  in  their  original 
stronghold,  Jerusalem,  colonies  having  been  formed  in 
and  around  Asia  Minor  and  in  Europe.  The  mission  of 
the  apostles  having  attached  itself  to  the  synagogues,  this 
diaspora,  or  dispersion,  of  the  Jews  became  the  means  of 
the  diffusion  of  Christianity. 


68  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

From  this  period,  their  fate  and  that  of  the  early  Chris- 
tians were  the  same.  They  were  alternately  tolerated, 
given  equal  civil  rights,  and  again  persecuted  and  ban- 
ished. Strange  that  Christianity,  which  itself  struggled 
so  bravely  for  existence,  should  become,  with  prosperity, 
intolerant  of  other  creeds,  and  especially  of  its  parent, 
Judaism !  But  no,  in  those  dark  ages  nothing  was 
strange.  Given  no  place  in  the  political  arrangements 
of  the  world  of  those  days,  being  neither  nobles  nor  serfs, 
the  Jews  dwelt  apart,  performing  their  mission;  they 
formed  the  link  between  the  glorious  past  and  the  Re- 
naissance, carrying  a  remnant  of  Egyptian,  Greek  and 
Roman  civilization  to  the  dawning  of  that  brighter  day, 
when  the  world  awakened  from  its  night  of  gloom  to 
witness  the  crusades,  the  aurora  of  its  day.  But  the 
splendor  of  its  dawn  became  shadowed  by  the  clouds  of 
a  gloomy  morn,  for  at  this  period,  nurtured  by  religious 
zeal  and  fanatic  enthusiasm,  began  the  deep-seated  preju- 
dice against  the  Jews  as  having  been  dwellers  in  Jeru- 
salem at  the  time  of  the  Crucifixion. 

They  emerge  from  a  dark  night  to  find  civil,  social, 
political  disabilities  everywhere;  a  deep  abyss  of  perse- 
cution before  them,  a  stone  wall  of  restrictions  behind 
them.  This  brings  us  to  the  fourteenth  century,  when 
Spain,  at  the  zenith  of  her  glory,  is  in  the  van  of  civili- 
zation. What  was  the  condition  of  her  Jews  at  that 
time? 

Following  the  trend  of  migration  and  civilization 
from  East  to  West,  we  find  a  large  proportion  of  Jews 
settled  in  Spain,  where  they  were  tolerated,  enjoying 
equal  rights  of  citizenship,  passing  through  a  glorious 
period  of  literary  and  social  activity,  and  during  the 
fifteenth  century  holding  government  positions  of  great 
responsibility  and  emolument,  thereby  incurring  the 
enmity  of  the  Catholic  citizens.  The  same  religious 


THE;  DISCOVERY  OP  AMERICA — ROSENBERG.        69 

zeal  which  prompted  Isabella,  under  Torquemada's 
influence,  to  aid  Columbus,  led  her  to  issue  her  famous 
edict  against  the  Jews  of  her  country,  to  take  effect  on 
the  very  day  that  Columbus  started  on  his  eventful 
voyage.  Many  believe  his  discovery  to  have  been  divine 
fore-ordination;  but  the  new  country  was  only  about  to 
be  discovered,  and  meanwhile  the  Spanish,  and  later  the 
Portuguese  Inquisition  commanded  baptism  or  death, 
and  many  were  baptized.  These  Marranos,  as  they  were 
called,  spurned  by  the  Jews,  and  despised  by  the  Chris- 
tians, publicly  professed  Christianity,  and  secretly  main- 
tained Judaism;  they  intermarried  with  Christians,  and 
rose  to  heights  of  power  and  dignity.  Despite  restrictions, 
many  celebrated  Jewish  names  belong  to  the  general  his- 
tory of  culture  in  the  countries  where  Jews  were  resi- 
dent. The  Jews  of  Spain  stand  out  pre-eminently  as 
persons  of  extraordinary  culture  and  intelligence,  who, 
banished  from  their  country  with  every  refinement  of 
cruelty  and  hardship  of  which  the  Inquisition  was  capa- 
ble, dispersed  to  many  lands,  in  all  of  which  they  were 
barely  tolerated,  carrying  their  culture  with  them.  Cut 
off  from  their  fellow  citizens,  excluded  by  oppressive 
laws  from  all  legitimate  trades,  specially  taxed,  con- 
signed to  the  narrow  confines  of  ghettos,  strictly  pro- 
hibited from  entering  certain  towns,  limited  in  numbers 
in  others,  disabled  from  being  members  of  trade  guilds, 
such  was  the  condition  of  the  Jews  of  the  world  at  the 
time  of  the  discovery  of  America.  There  was  no  known 
country  to  which  they  might  turn,  and  call  it  home. 
What  wonder,  then,  that  the  new  world  was  hailed  as  a 
divine  gift  to  humanity,  a  haven  of  peace  and  good-will 
at  last.  Ah !  but  even  here  the  problem  of  freedom 
must  first  be  worked  out,  and  the  life-long  traditional 
prejudices  against  the  Jews  were  not  set  aside  as  readily 
as  European  expulsion  cast  the  Jews  themselves  out  of 


70  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

their  native  lands.  Religious  intolerance  was  prevalent 
among  all  peoples  at  that  time.  Education  in  the  broad, 
liberal  sense  of  to-day  was  unknown,  and  the  dangerous 
experiment  of  forcing  convictions  was  tried. 

America,  settled  by  all  sects  of  people  fleeing  from 
religious  intolerance  and  in  search  of  a  place  where 
religious  liberty  and  freedom  of  conscience  might  be 
enjoyed,  could  not  long  harbor  bitter  antagonisms  on 
the  ground  of  religion.  "  America  is  another  name  for 
opportunity.  Her  whole  history  appears  like  a  last 
effort  of  divine  providence  in  behalf  of  the  human  race." 
From  within  her  boundaries  emanated  the  grand  idea  of 
freedom,  such  as  the  world  had  never  heard  of  before. 
Here  was  the  dreamed-of  Utopia,  the  New  Atlantis,  the 
land  of  promise  that  opened  up  the  ghettos  of  the  old 
world. — Liberty,  I  worship  at  thy  shrine  ! 

The  spiritual  re-awakening  of  the  Jews  was  given  its 
greatest  impetus  by  Moses  Mendelssohn,  in  Germany, 
who  by  translating  the  Pentateuch  into  the  scholarly 
German  language  of  the  day  removed  the  barrier  reared 
by  the  use  of  an  alien  language;  and  the  most  powerful 
impulse  to  political  liberation  came  from  France  under 
Napoleon.  This  period  in  Europe,  the  arms  of  America 
at  the  same  time  stretched  out  to  receive  the  willing 
colonists,  may  truly  be  termed  the  Jewish  Renaissance. 

The  early  colonists  in  America  were  engaged  in  the 
arduous  undertaking  of  settling  and  reducing  to  the 
requirements  of  civilization,  a  wilderness  peopled  by 
savages,  who  were  not  always  friendly  to  the  white  set- 
tlers. We  therefore  find  the  settlers  of  all  sects  united 
in  protection  against  their  common  enemy,  the  Indian, 
banded  together  in  their  common  interests  of  protection, 
government  and  self-help.  And  although  many  Jewish 
names  were  on  the  lists  of  the  rank  and  file,  and  others 
stand  forth  in  glorious  prominence  during  the  early  wars 


THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA — ROSENBERG.        71 

and  the  wars  of  the  Revolution  and  Rebellion,  the  tie  of 
a  common  cause  makes  one  lose  sight  of  this  one  or  that 
one  as  a  Jew,  a  Catholic,  or  a  Protestant;  we  know  of 
them  only  as  men  doing  battle  together  for  a  great  cause. 

Since  the  western  hemisphere  has  been  opened  up,  a 
stream  of  immigration  has  flowed  in  steadily,  people 
leaving  the  ^over-crowded  countries  of  the  old  world  to 
better  their  condition;  some  come  to  enjoy  greater  free- 
dom, others,  disappointed  with  their  achievements,  make 
a  new  beginning,  whilst  others  still,  working  and  slaving 
where  toil  is  over-crowded  and  poorly  paid,  are  anxious 
for  their  children  to  have  better  opportunities  than  they 
themselves  enjoyed.  The  sad,  disappointed  and  dissatis- 
fied with  the  state  of  affairs  in  the  old  world,  come  to 
the  new  to  build  up  under  more  favorable  conditions  \ 
looking  toward  America  to  solve  the  problems  and  allay 
the  fears  menacing  the  nations  of  the  earth  to-day.  And 
nowhere  can  one  find  so  happy  a  working  class  or  a 
middle  class  in  a  better,  happier  or  more  cultured  condi- 
tion. And  that  which  is  true  of  this  nation  in  general 
is  true  also  of  her  Jews.  How  truly  has  it  been  said 
that  "  Each  country  has  the  Jews  it  deserves." 

The  American  Jews  of  to-day  (and  by  these  are  not 
meant  the  oppressed  Russian  exiles  who  find  a  home 
here,  but  the  descendants  of  the  earlier  settlers  through- 
out the  country)  hold  positions  of  influence  and  culture, 
commingle  with  the  other  citizens  of  the  United  States 
in  all  vital  questions,  and  are  in  reality  lost  sight  of  as 
Jews,  excepting  in  religious  belief.  They  exert  a  health- 
ful influence  over  immigrants  from  other  countries,  in 
which  oppression  has  been  the  lot  of  their  brethren, 
and  although  we  occasionally  hear  of  a  wave  of  anti- 
semitism  in  civilized  countries,  nevertheless  persecu- 
tions cannot  become  general  in  our  enlightened  age,  nor 
endure  for  any  length  of  time. 


72  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Each  age  has  had  its  celebrated  Jewish  philanthropists, 
and  with  the  favorable  conditions  enjoyed  under  the 
glorious  "stars  and  stripes,"  Jewish  hospitals,  orphan 
asylums,  free  schools  and  benevolent  institutions  flourish 
in  proportion  to  the  Jewish  population.  The  Union  of 
American  Congregations  has  for  its  object  the  dissemi- 
nation of  religious  knowledge  through  the  medium  of 
its  Hebrew  Union  College,  of  Cincinnati,  and  the  con- 
gregational Sunday-schools,  and  is  in  this  Congress  reap- 
ing one  of  the  best  fruits  of  its  sowing.  To  co-operate 
with  similar  associations  throughout  the  world,  to  relieve 
and  elevate  oppressed  Jews  has  been  its  noblest  task, 
and  through  its  agency  the  immigrants  coming  to  the 
United  States  are  taught  self-reliance  and  self-help.  No 
matter  how  ignorant  through  oppression  these  people 
are,  their  immediate  progeny  show  marked  signs  of  im- 
provement and  Americanism,  and  removed  from  the 
yoke  of  the  oppressor,  the  third  generation  of  this  re- 
markable people  on  American  soil,  with  their  inherited 
powers  of  adaptability,  will  retain  only  their  religion  as 
an  indication  of  Judaism. 

We  have  followed  Israel  from  its  bondage  in  Egypt, 
through  its  national  period,  in  its  dispersion,  during 
times  of  persecution,  until  we  see  Judaism,  not  as  a 
nation  or  a  tribe  or  a  race,  but  as  a  religious  sect;  and 
now  the  Jew's  nationality  is  like  that  of  his  Christian 
brother  in  his  adopted  or  in  his  native  land.  The  great 
colleges  of  the  world  are  open  to  him,  and  in  the  short 
period  of  his  liberation,  his  achievements  have  been 
greater  in  proportion  to  the  population  than  those  of  any 
other  people. 

The  influence  of  the  discovery  of  America  on  the 
world  at  large  was  to  revolutionize  the  accepted  mode  of 
reasoning;  it  set  the  philosophers  to  work,  and  assisted 
Bacon  and  later  Franklin  in  striking  the  death  blow 


THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA — ROSENBERG.        73 

to  scholasticism.  Thought  pinioned  for  centuries  was 
set  free;  freedom  was  no  longer  a  dream,  but  a  reality 
within  the  grasp  of  the  daring;  the  bold  new  world  with 
its  unexplored  extent  invited  daring  adventurers,  and 
offered  an  asylum  for  countless  numbers  of  hitherto  op- 
pressed people.  Could  it  help  having  a  wholesome  effect 
upon  the  treatment  of  the  Jews? 

Among  the  workers  of  all  classes  in  America  we  find 
Jews:  artisans,  tradesmen,  merchants,  scientists,  littera- 
teurs, professors,  doctors,  advocates,  diplomats  and  phi- 
losophers, and  those  who  have  not  attained  extraordinary 
renown  are  happy  in  being  integral  parts  of  the  best  nation 
on  earth,  exerting  a  restrictive  influence  upon  foreign 
oppressors  of  their  creed,  aiding  to  better  the  condition 
of  mankind,  and  working  out  one  of  the  problems  of 
civilization — to  live  in  friendship  and  peace,  not  antag- 
onism; in  love,  and  not  in  hate;  and,  in  all  questions 
absorbing  the  nation,  working  hand  in  hand  with  the 
Christian,  making  a  brotherhood  of  man,  radiating  an 
influence  to  all  quarters  of  the  globe,  inviting  citizenship. 
America's  Jews,  the  descendants  of  foreign  born  citizens, 
enjoying  liberty,  enlightenment  and  culture  for  a  few 
generations,  judging  by  past  noble  achievements,  hold 
out  a  bright  promise  of  future  possibilities. 

"  When  the  centuries  behind  me  like  a  fruitful  land  reposed, 
When  I  clung  to  all  the  present  for  the  promise  that  it  closed, 
When  I  dipt  into  the  future  far  as  human  eye  can  see, 
Saw  the  vision  of  the  world  and  all  the  wonder  that  would  be." 


INFLUENCE  OF  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA 

ON  THE  JEWS. 
(Discussion  of  the  foregoing  paper.} 


ESTHER  WITKOWSKY,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 


Forget  for  one  moment  that  you  are  attending  a  Jewish 
Women's  Congress  in  America  at  the  close  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  and  turn  back  with  me  to  Spain,  on  the 
first  and  second  of  August,  1492.  Look  along  the  high- 
roads leading  from  the  cities;  you  will  see  throngs  of 
human  beings,  in  all  300,000  souls,  journeying  they  know 
not  whither,  realizing  only  that,  for  no  fault  of  their  own, 
they  are  expelled  from  a  land  which  has  been  the  home 
of  their  fathers  for  about  eight  hundred  years.  They, 
the  best  of  the  Spanish  kingdom,  writers  and  scientists, 
physicians  and  jurists,  artisans  and  farmers,  were  cast, 
impoverished  and  plague-ridden,  upon  the  mercy  of  for- 
eign nations.  Let  us  follow  them  a  little  way;  Portugal, 
for  a  high  tax,  gave  them  temporary  shelter;  the  cities 
of  Italy  granted  them  a  grudging  welcome  to  the  ghettos; 
Germany  admitted  them  to  a  share  in  the  persecution  of 
their  brethren;  England  and  France  spurned  them  utterly. 
In  all  Europe  they  were  welcomed  in  but  one  place,  in 
Turkey,  the  home  of  the  infidel. 

When  Queen  Isabella  refused  the  generous  offer  of  the 
Jews  to  share  the  expenses  of  the  Moorish  war,  if  Isaac 
Arbarbanel,  with  the  tongue  of  a  prophet,  had  turned 
upon  the  bigoted  woman,  and  told  her  that  the  hand 
which  had  signed  the  decree  of  expulsion  would,  by  its 
bounty,  provide  a  resting  place  for  the  descendants  of 
his  people,  he  would  have  been  called  a  madman. 

(74) 


THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA— WITKOWSKY.        75 

We  have  the  eyes  of  history,  and  once  more  looking 
back,  this  time  to  the  third  of  August,  at  the  port  of 
Palos,  we  see  three  tiny  vessels  setting  out  for  a  journey 
across  an  unknown  sea,  seeking  the  spices  and  precious 
metals  of  India,  but  finding  the  New  World,  needed  by 
none  so  much  as  by  the  children  of  the  poor  wanderers 
we  have  just  been  following. 

When  Torquemada,  Inquisitor-General  of  Spain,  hold- 
ing aloft  the  crucifix,  with  fiery  eloquence,  reproached 
his  sovereigns  for  considering  the  offer  of  the  Jews,  if 
then  Isaac  Arbarbanel  had  turned  upon  him,  and  again 
with  the  tongue  of  a  prophet,  had  foretold  that  the  In- 
quisition would  pave  the  way  for  the  first  pilgrimage  of 
the  Jews  to  this  new  home,  he  would  have  been  called 
a  madman.  Our  scene  now  changes  to  Holland;  time, 
about  seventy-five  years  later.  We  see  the  sturdy  Dutch 
people,  who,  by  a  series  of  fateful  royal  marriages,  had 
come  under  the  sway  of  Philip  the  Second,  great-grand- 
son and  worthy  descendant  of  Isabella,  engaged  in  a  bitter 
struggle  to  secure  their  ancient  privileges,  and  to  prevent 
the  establishment  of  the  Inquisition  in  their  land. 

When  this  freedom-loving  Batavian  people  had  suc- 
ceeded in  gaining  the  political  and  religious  liberty  for 
which  they  had  so  valiantly  fought,  with  the  logic  that 
might  have  been  expected  of  them,  they  offered  a  home 
and  immunity  from  persecution  to  those  whose  faith  was 
different  from  their  own.  As  they  carried  this  policy 
into  their  colonies,  we  are  not  surprised  to  find,  as  early 
as  1654,  the  record  of  the  first  Jews  in  North  America 
in  the  city  of  New  York,  then,  of  course,  New  Amster- 
dam. It  took  the  English  Puritans  a  little  longer  to 
reach  the  logical  conclusion  of  their  religious  premises, 
and  it  was  nearly  three  centuries  from  the  time  Colum- 
bus sailed  to  the  unknown  lands,  when  the  descendants 
of  the  early  settlers  agreed,  in  the  Constitution  of  the 


76  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

new  nation  they  were  forming,  that  "  Congress  shall 
make  no  law  respecting  an  establishment  of  religion,  or 
prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof,"  thereby  making  a 
home  for  the  persecuted  of  all  lands  and  all  times. 

It  behooves  us  Jews,  as  partakers  of  the  bounty  of 
this  new  nation,  to  remember  the  history  of  our  people, 
to  recall  the  struggle  that  our  fathers  have  had  to  hold 
fast  to  the  faith,  and  to  understand  that  it  is  our  duty  to 
extend  a  helping  hand  to  any  of  our  brethren  still  bear- 
ing the  yoke  of  oppression.  No  matter  how  ignorant, 
how  degraded,  the  modern  exiles  may  be;  no  matter 
whether  we  believe  they  are  of  one  race  with  us  or  not, 
they  are  suffering  for  our  religion,  and  for  the  sake  of 
our  own  past,  we  must  help  them. 

By  educating  the  younger  generation,  not  only  of  these 
newcomers,  but  of  American  Jews,  by  instructing  it  in 
the  essential  principles  of  culture,  by  surrounding  it  with 
refining  influences,  we  must  seek  to  stifle  the  breath  of 
prejudice.  There  was  no  land  of  promise  for  the  perse- 
cuted Jew  of  the  sixteenth  century;  we  have  found  one 
here  in  America;  the  Holy  City  may  not  lie  within  its 
boundaries,  but  the  route  thither  certainly  does.  "  Next 
year  in  Jerusalem  "  prays  the  orthodox  Jew;  let  us  hope 
that  here,  in  the  future,  he  may  forget  this  prayer,  be- 
lieving that  he  has  found  what  he  has  sought. 


THE  INFLUENCE  OF  THE  DISCOVERY  OF 

AMERICA  ON  THE  JEWS. 
{Discussion  of  the  foregoing  paper, ~} 


MARY  NEWBURY  ADAMS,  DUBUQUE,  IOWA. 


The  influence  of  the  discovery  of  America  on  the 
Jews  was  to  bring  them  into  prominence,  because  they 
had  the  qualities  needed  by  the  new  conditions  it  gave 
to  nations  and  religions. 

When  Protestantism  began  to  disintegrate  Christianity, 
and  reason  and  learning  were  to  be  brought  to  bear  on 
religion,  and  new  sects  formed  from  the  study  of  the 
Bible,  as  human  reason  should  find  necessary  to  suit  the 
modern  world,  then  we  find  learned  Jews  were  needed  to 
translate  and  interpret  the  Bible. 

Reuchlin,  the  humanist  and  Hebraist,  has  a  statue  as 
a  promoter  of  the  Reformation.  He  began  true  Prot- 
estantism with  the  demand  that  we  use  our  reason  in 
religion  and  in  the  study  of  Scripture. 

The  Christian  history  given  to  western  Europe  was 
of  Rome,  Constantinople  and  Jerusalem.  When  people 
began  to  reason  on  religion,  and  establish  sects  best 
suited  to  their  needs  for  coming  time  from  the  Bible, 
the  Hebrew  race  and  Asia  came  in  as  a  part  of  the 
religious  history  of  humanity,  and  when  the  great 
monument  was  erected  to  Luther,  statues  of  Jews  were 
among  those  that  surrounded  his. 

The  newly  discovered  continents  had  given  hope, 
courage  and  influence  to  Hebrews,  and  the  public  recog- 
nized their  position  in  human  progress.  The  revival  of 

(77) 


78  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

the  study  of  literature  and  the  Bible,  brought  about  by 
the  Renaissance  and  the  Reformation,  and  the  need  of 
these  in  the  formation  of  new  religious  sects,  were  bene- 
ficial to  the  recognition  of  their  worth,  for  the  value  of 
Scripture,  of  literature,  as  above  the  authority  of  any 
one  person  or  one  institution,  has  risen  with  the  increased 
power  of  Hebrews  in  society  and  religion.  Then  people, 
fleeing  from  persecution  to  new  countries  that  they 
might  worship  God  as  seemed  right  in  their  judgment, 
increased  interest  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  this  had  a 
reflex  influence  on  Hebraism  throughout  the  world,  as 
Moses  had  said,  "  For  it  is  not  a  vain  thing  for  you, 
because  it  is  your  life,  and  through  this  thing  ye  shall 
prolong  your  days  in  the  land,"  as  "these  words  of  the 
law  "  have  done. 

Venice,  Holland  and  Spain  were  the  enterprising, 
commercial  governments  at  the  time  of  the  discovery  of 
America,  and  they  owed  to  the  Jews  much  of  their  finan- 
cial power,  and  that  is  the  basis  of  influence  in  the 
world.  They  were  travelers,  and  they  brought  knowl- 
edge that  could  be  relied  on  of  other  countries,  and 
could  compare  governments  and  religions.  It  was  the 
Hebrew  and  Moslem  learning  that  Prince  Henry  II.  col- 
lected at  his  scientific  college  at  Sagres  on  Cape  St.  Vin- 
cent that  gave  the  navigators  Perestrello  and  Pedro 
Correa  knowledge  for  navigation.  Columbus  received 
their  charts,  maps,  and  collected  astronomical  and 
geographical  learning.  Christians,  for  a  thousand  years, 
had  taught  people  to  despise  this  world  and  the  real 
facts  of  earth,  but  to  look  to  Rome,  the  Christian  Atlas, 
on  whose  shoulders  government,  religion  and  all  civiliza- 
tion should  rest. 

At  the  time  Columbus  started  for  Portugal,  Venice 
had  Jews  who  for  convenience  established  banks.  Lon- 
don had  learned  the  need  of  a  Lombard  Street  At 


THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA — ADAMS.  79 

Antwerp  and  at  Amsterdam,  they  were  powers  recog- 
nized in  society  and  business.  With  new  trade  opening 
with  the  East  Indies  and  America,  the  need  of  men  who 
could  speak  several  languages,  and  who  had  ability  to 
make  exchange  of  money,  to  be  responsible  for  large 
amounts  of  cash,  taught  the  business  men  of  Europe  to 
respect  and  honor  Jews.  For  never  since  the  overturning 
of  the  money-changers  at  Jerusalem,  so  many  centuries 
before,  in  the  Temple,  where  wealth  had  been  safe, 
where  the  religious  Temple  was  the  court-house,  under 
the  care  of  priests  and  lawyers,  who  were  bound  by  relig- 
ious oath  to  honesty,  had  there  been  a  secure  place  for 
money,  or  a  set  of  people  to  care  and  be  responsible  for 
money  confided  to  them,  until  this  time,  1500,  when  in 
Venice  and  Holland  there  were  banks  kept  by  Jews. 

With  the  discovery  of  new  lands,  the  Jews  were  ready 
with  knowledge  gained  by  travel,  with  the  sciences,  and 
with  money  for  the  enterprises  of  discovery.  These  new 
countries  not  only  gave  opportunities  for  Jews,  but  stim- 
ulated exertions  with  the  hope  of  obtaining  security  from 
the  cruel  thefts  and  persecutions  of  organized  Christian- 
ity throughout  Europe.  For  a  thousand  years,  persecu- 
tions, which  we  never  find  equaled  among  savages,  the 
Christian  church  inflicted  in  Spain  upon  these  learned 
people,  and  upon  the  artistic  and  cultivated  Saracens, 
who,  by  farms,  gardens,  architecture  and  the  fine  arts, 
had  made  that  peninsula  the  Eden  of  Europe,  and  it  was 
due  to  the  learning  of  these  Hebrew  and  Arab  scientists 
that  they  gained  knowledge  to  enable  Columbus  to  sail 
across  the  ocean.  Constantinople  had  been  taken  by 
Mohammedans  in  1453.  As  late  as  1556,  the  English 
church  was  burning  books  on  geometry  and  astronomy, 
as  works  of  heathen  magic.  Arabs  and  Hebrews  had 
had  schools  for  the  learning  of  history  and  science  for 
many  centuries.  The  discovery  of  America  making  a 


8o  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

demand  for  knowledge  and  learning  brought  them  into 
prominence.  They  were  sought  for  in  universities. 

Isabella,  granddaughter  of  the  great  Philippa  of  Flan- 
ders, true  to  her  woman  nature,  had  curiosity,  she  wanted 
knowledge.  She  sent  a  Moorish  botanist  and  a  learned 
Hebrew  astronomer  with  Columbus  that  she  might  have 
accurate  knowledge  of  the  new  lands  he  was  to  find. 
She  wanted  the  Arab  to  find  new  spices  and  herbs  such 
as  Holland  women  had,  fruits  for  her  plum-cake.  She 
had  to  seek  a  Hebrew  and  an  Arab,  for  Christians  were 
not  trained  or  learned,  save  in  church  legends  and  Roman 
history.  They  could  not  report  on  facts  of  this  world 
or  on  the  heavenly  bodies  accurately.  They  had  been 
taught,  "  Come  ye  out  of  the  world,"  and  that  knov/ledge 
of  earth  was  folly,  but  the  Hebrews  were  taught  to  enter 
the  world,  learn  of  it,  and  to  enter  into  possession  of  it. 
"  The  Lord  of  Hosts  is  our  God,  Maker  of  heaven  and 
earth,  and  we  are  His  people."  The  Hebrews  were  pre- 
pared by  instinct,  habits  and  religion,  by  the  arts  that 
are  easily  transported,  literature  and  music  that  could  be 
carried  in  a  small  package,  to  enjoy  new  colonies  in  a 
new  land. 

For  fifteen  hundred  years  these  persecuting  European 
powers  had  demanded  uniformity  in  religious  belief,  had 
falsified  history  to  excuse  their  murders,  and  made 
opportunities  to  steal  from  the  Jews  to  build  palaces  and 
cathedrals.  They  had  tried  to  ostracize  and  exterminate 
them,  but  in  the  providence  of  God,  the  Scriptures  and 
the  knowledge  of  the  Hebrews  were  the  warp  of  the 
mantle  raised  that  parted  the  waters  of  ignorance,  and 
allowed  the  modern  world  to  pass  through  into  new 
scenes,  new  conditions,  by  the  Reformation  caused  by 
reasoning  on  religion,  and  the  discovery  of  a  new  hemi- 
sphere. Now,  after  four  hundred  years,  with  the  impetus 
given  trade  by  the  opening  of  colonies,  not  a  European 


THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA — ADAMS.  Si 

power  can  go  to  war,  or  enter  upon  great  financial  opera- 
tions without  consent  of  Jew  bankers  in  all  nations. 
Napoleon  wanted  friends,  he  wanted  money,  wanted 
France  to  be  cosmopolitan,  so  he  befriended  them. 

As  the  French  Revolution  had  given  vitality  and 
organization  to  the  reason  of  humanity  and  the  rights 
of  mankind,  and  in  America  a  republic  had  been  formed 
by  "  We  the  people  "  for  "  equal  rights,"  with  methods 
based  on  the  Hebrew  ideal,  a  unity  with  variety  in  har- 
mony, an  ideal  consonant  with  the  newly  discovered  law 
of  the  heavens  too,  prayer  had  been  answered.  "  Thy 
will "  had  come  on  earth  as  it  is  in  the  heavens.  The 
method  among  the  stars  was  worked  out  politically  in 
government,  and  by  variety,  not  uniformity,  in  religion. 
The  States,  like  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  did  not  fol- 
low the  example  or  commands  of  any  person  as  authority, 
or  rest  on  one  belief,  but  the  republic  was  spherical, 
revolving  about  the  axis  of  principles  deduced  from  the 
people's  own  best  reason.  The  motion  of  the  atoms 
causes  the  motion  of  the  whole  like  the  cosmos.  So  the 
reason  of  individuals  organized  in  state  government  and 
religious  sects,  then  again  into  a  Union,  and  the  science 
of  the  world  expressed  in  political  formation  and  religious 
toleration,  leading  to  the  future  cosmos  in  religion,  were 
the  New  World's  adaptations  of  the  Hebrew  ideal. 

The  republic  founded  on  unity  in  variety  was  an 
opportunity  for  the  Hebrews  to  rejoice  in.  A  govern- 
ment under  which  the  president  takes  his  oath  as  chief 
magistrate  by  putting  his  hand  on  the  collected  litera- 
ture of  the  Jews,  sanctions  the  collected  wisdom  of  that 
people  as  authority.  Here  is  the  opposite  of  the  ideal 
in  Europe  that  persecuted  the  Jews.  Here  the  president 
is  but  the  executive  hand  to  put  into  effective  force  the 
will  of  the  people,  and  these  laws  are  put  into  perma- 
nent form  as  the  people's  best  ideals.  No  supernatural 


82  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Atlas  holds  the  government  on  his  shoulders,  no  individ- 
ual can  say,  "  It  hath  been  written,  but  I  say,"  and  do  as 
I,  the  individual,  shall  think  right.  The  ivritten  law, 
as  with  the  Hebrews,  is  the.  method  of  the  republic,  and 
not  the  command  of  one  leader,  or  the  example  of  one 
person.  The  "  elders  "  of  the  people  must  rule,  not  by 
sentiment,  but  by  written  law.  The  Prophets  had  given 
promise  of  the  coming  republic,  variety  in  harmony,  not 
imperial  uniformity. 

Three  hundred  years  of  study  of  Hebrew  literature 
and  history  shaped  this  government.  Moses,  Aaron  and 
Miriam  seemed  a  part  of  our  history.  The  Bible  was 
read  not  only  at  church,  but  in  the  family,  daily  kneel- 
ing, night  and  morning,  at  home-worship,  singing  the 
psalms,  and  repeating  the  Hebrew  poetry  and  proverbs. 
When  children's  minds  have  had  woven  into  their  high- 
est, sacred  moments  memories  of  these  Scriptures,  the 
imagination  makes  them  not  only  the  pillar  of  fire  to 
lead,  but  the  forming,  creating  power  for  life,  their  daily 
manna.  The  reading  of  the  history  of  the  Jews,  as  the 
ancient  history  of  religion,  shaped  the  imagination  of 
the  people.  They  read  in  their  colonial  homes,  "  When 
I  consider  the  heavens,  the  work  of  Thy  fingers,  the  moon 
and  the  stars  which  Thou  hast  ordained,  what  is  man 
that  Thou  art  mindful  of  him,  and  the  son  of  man  that 
Thou  visitest  him  ?  For  Thou  hast  made  him  a  little 
lower  than  the  angels,  and  hast  crowned  him  with  glory 
and  honor.  Thou  madest  him  to  have  dominion  over 
the  works  of  Thy  hands;  Thou  hast  put  all  things  under 
his  feet."  "  I  delight  to  do  Thy  will,  O  my  God.  Yea, 
Thy  law  is  within  my  heart."  "  He  shall  cut  off  the 
spirit  of  princes."  "  He  is  terrible  to  the  kings  of  the 
earth,"  as  the  republic  was.  "  I  have  said  ye  are  gods, 
and  all  of  you  are  children  of  the  Most  High."  "  God 
standeth  in  the  congregation  of  the  mighty.  He  judgeth. 


THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA — ADAMS.  83 

among  the  gods  "  (people).  Here  was  a  present,  living 
Creator  and  God  in  America,  not  the  history  of  one  in 
Asia.  "  Let  the  beanty  of  the  Lord  our  God  be  upon  us, 
and  establish  Thou  the  work  jof  our  hands,  yea,  the  work 
of  our  hands  establish  Thou  it."  These  Scripture  words 
echoed  through  the  minds  of  the  children  in  their  early 
days,  and  formed  the  ideal  for  statesmen.  Jefferson,  in 
his  inaugural,  saw  that  it  was  a  constellation  that  guided 
this  republic,  as  an  ideal  in  method. 

The  English  church  did  not  persecute  Jews,  because 
the  kings  were  always  needing  their  financial  aid;  they 
wanted  the  strength  which  Spain  persecuted,  and  many 
of  her  people  were  from  Holland.  The  Presbyterian  as 
well  as  the  Independent  element  were  Hebraic  rather 
than  Roman,  because  of  the  dependence  of  their  knowl- 
edge and  forms  of  worship  on  the  Bible,  rather  than  the 
Christian  system  as  established  by  Paul  and  Peter.  The 
whole  system  of  Rome's  religion  that  dominated  Europe, 
and  held  the  people  helpless  during  the  Dark  Ages  was 
the  triumph  over  many  races  of  the  system  of  unity  with 
uniformity — the  attempt  to  rest  power,  as  they  thought 
the  earth  rested,  on  one  person.  The  cross  has  always 
stood  for  imperial  power  over  individual  life;  thousands 
of  years  before,  Rome  had  adopted  it  after  conquering 
Alexandria.  When  Constantine,  as  it  is  said,  saw  the 
Cross  in  the  sky,  he  saw  the  opportunity  to  select  one 
religion,  and  make  all  others  submit  to  it,  all  saved 
through  one  blood-sacrifice  in  heaven,  all  saved  on  earth 
by  the  Emperor,  head  of  the  church,  and  Constantinople, 
the  imperial  city,  to  hold  Asia  and  Europe  in  subjection. 
Rome  had  conquered  Africa,  and  she  based  her  empire 
of  religion  on  Constantine's  political  system,  readjusted 
to  include  her  diverse  European  races.  They,  too,  were 
praying,  and  trying  to  have  "  Thy  kingdom  come  on 
earth  as  in  heaven,"  but  they  killed  the  prophets  and 


84  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

the  learned  men,  and,  without  the  scientific  knowledge 
of  the  law  of  the  heavens,  based  their  methods  on 
Ptolemaic  astronomy  and  Chaldsean  Tarsus  philosophy. 
There  could  be  no  peace  for  Hebrews  with  those  who 
despised  the  laws  of  astronomy  and  earth,  for  they  sang, 
"  My  help  cometh  from  the  I^ord  who  made  heaven  and 
earth." 

The  Hebrews  returned  good  for  evil  to  the  persecuting 
Christians,  who  stole  their  property,  and  scattered  them 
by  banishment.  They  had  incited  no  wars  nor  rebellions. 
Again  they  had  hung  their  harps  on  the  willows,  be- 
lieving that  their  "  God  of  Hosts,  the  Creator  of  yester- 
day, to-day  and  forever,  to  whom  a  thousand  years  are  as 
one  day,  would  turn,  and  overthrow,  until  His  will  was 
done,"  and  humanity,  born  of  God,  again  had  a  right  to 
life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness. 

When  the  ideal  of  an  empire,  unity  with  uniformity, 
rules,  there  can  be  no  peace  for  those  who  differ  from  the 
head.  The  influence,  then,  of  the  discovery  of  America 
on  the  Jews  was  to  bring  them  forward  victorious  with 
their  banner  inscribed,  "  Ye  are  gods,  and  all  of  you  are 
children  of  the  Most  High."  They  could  not  submit  to 
Christian  belief,  for  it  was  based  on  depravity  of  man- 
kind and  the  need  of  exterior  salvation  by  a  human 
blood-sacrifice.  The  history  of  a  representative  of  God 
could  not  be  an  authority  over  the  "  children  of  God." 
As  the  power  of  priests  with  ceremonies,  repeating  his- 
tory, declined,  prophets  multiplied,  and  thus  it  came 
about  that  those  whose  religion  rested  on  the  authority 
of  prophets  furnished  the  light  for  the  day. 

The  art  of  music  began  at  this  time,  and  in  this  they 
won  signal  success.  With  the  discovery  of  printing,  their 
literature  became  the  "  high  towers,"  the  "  Hill  of  Zion," 
to  give  law  in  many  lands  and  across  oceans  to  colonies, 
and  thus  they  became  the  forming  influence  in  society 


THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA — ADAMS.  85 

as  well  as  church  and  state  after  the  discovery,  and  im- 
portant factors  in  all  civil  life. 

Two  thousand  years  ago,  over  the  door  of  Hillel's 
school  for  youth  in  Jerusalem,  till  Rome's  Titus  destroyed 
it,  was  the  motto,  "  The  world  is  saved  by  the  breath 
of  the  school  children."  Here  the  learned  teacher,  "  a 
strong  personality  characterized  by  unusual  sweetness 
and  light,"  taught  them  to  come  into  the  sanctuary,  and 
repeat  the  golden  rule,  to  learn  of  laws,  and  to  obey  the 
written  word.  They  were  forbidden  to  follow  persons 
until  approved  by  the  elected  authority.  No  one  indi- 
vidual could  be  an  authority,  only  the  one  God  through 
the  people.  "  The  Lord  is  in  His  holy  temple  " — the 
human  mind — "  let  all  the  earth  keep  silence  before 
Him."  The  collected  wisdom  of  human  mind  of  proph- 
ets and  prophetesses  were  in  Scripture  as  authority, 
not  in  a  building,  nor  in  one  person,  but  in  law,  literature, 
Scripture.  "  For  with  Thee  is  the  fountain  of  life.  In 
Thy  light  shall  we  see  light;  and  worship  Him  that  made 
heaven  and  earth  and  the  sea  and  the  fountains  of 
waters."  A  race  that  bringeth  "  good  tidings,  that  pub- 
lisheth  peace,"  that  believeth  in  a  God  that  requires 
"  but  to  do  justly,  to  love  mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly 
with  God." 

One  influence  on  the  Jews  of  the  discovery  of  America 
was  to  make  them  realize,  in  their  wide  travels,  that  the 
Mediterranean  Sea  was  not  the  world,  and  that  not  in 
walled  Jerusalem  or  Rome  was  or  could  be  the  realization 
of  God's  kingdom  on  earth.  God  was  not  historical  or 
geographical,  but  present  in  the  human  mind.  With  the 
discovery  of  continents,  of  the  other  half  of  the  globe, 
and  that  the  sphere  was  held  in  place  by  its  own  motion, 
came  cosmopolitan  ideals  that  nations,  too,  are  held  in 
equilibrium  by  vitality  in  all  their  various  activities,  that 
it  is  the  people  with  freedom  in  various  lines  of  activity 


86  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

that  turns  a  nation  on  its  axis  with  safety.  So  the  Jews 
with  world-wisdom  have  entered  into  modern,  social  life 
as  a  potent  force.  At  the  ballot-box,  they  have  con- 
fronted, in  a  solid  body,  enemies  of  the  republic  from 
Europe.  They  are  the  friends  of  the  public  schools, 
patrons  of  fine  arts,  and  sustain,  quietly  and  as  law-abid- 
ing citizens,  the  power  of  government;  for  the  discovery 
of  America  loosened  them  from  their  bonds  to  Jerusalem 
as  their  home,  and  fastened  them  to  people  who  accepted 
their  Scripture  as  law  and  leader.  They  have  become 
the  cosmopolitan  element,  and  are  at  home  where  law 
and  commerce  go.  From  300  to  1500,  Jews  were  treated 
in  Europe  worse  than  beasts  or  savages.  What  a  dawn 
was  the  discovery  of  a  new  hemisphere  that  the  old 
hemisphere  could  not  rule  over,  and  the  establishment 
of  a  republic  with  a  heterogeneous  people  that  must 
become  one  by  forming  and  following  law !  A  full  his- 
tory of  the  influence  on  America  of  the  Jewish  financial 
ability,  the  ethical  teachings  and  religious  methods 
needed  in  this  new  land,  is  a  volume  yet  to  be  written. 
This  race  obeys  law  that  is  accepted  by  law-makers. 
They  denounce  individual  assertion  of  democracy  that 
would  say,  "  It  hath  been  written,  but  I  say."  They  hold 
to  obedience  of  written  law  as  authority,  till  another 
written  law  is  accepted  by  those  in  authority.  Anarch- 
ists do  not  come  from  this  race  or  this  religion.  Modern 
history  has  awakened  to  the  ethical  value  of  their  long 
experience  with  high  aims  for  human  benefit,  and  has 
renewed  "  faith  in  the  one  God  who  turneth  and  over- 
turneth  till  His  will  is  done,"  and  His  way  is  won.  "  The 
fountain  of  their  patient  faith  was  thought,  and  faith  in 
God."  Europe's  rejected  stone  has  become  the  corner- 
stone of  the  United  States. 

In   this   Parliament   of  Religions,  this   Congress   of 
Hebrew  women  can  turn  to  their  Scripture,  and  read 


THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA — ADAMS.  87 

Micah  iv.  2,  "  Many  nations  shall  corne,  and  say,  let  us 
go  up  into  the  mountain  of  the  Lord.  And  He  shall 
judge  among  many  people,  and  rebuke  strong  nations 
afar  off,  and  they  shall  beat  their  swords  into  plow- 
shares, and  their  spears  into  pruning  hooks;  nations 
shall  not  lift  up  sword  against  nations,  neither  shall  they 
learn  war  any  more.  But  they  shall  sit  every  man 
under  his  vine  and  fig  tree,  and  none  shall  make  them 
afraid,  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  hath  spoken 
it."  For  all  people  will  walk  in  the  name  of  his  god, 
and  we  will  walk  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  our  God  for- 
ever and  ever  (Micah  vi.  4).  For,  saith  He,  "  I  brought 
thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  redeemed  thee  out 
of  the  house  of  servants,  and  I  sent  before  thee  Moses, 
Aaron  and  Miriam"  If  by  the  memory  of  Moses 
"  they  are  to  remember  and  show  themselves  men,"  let 
us  remember  Miriam,  and  exalt  womanhood.  The  serving 
qualities  in  this  helpful  sister  of  old  that  foresaw  com- 
ing good  to  a  people,  and  protected  its  life,  are  repeated 
down  through  the  centuries  to  this  day.  As  the  time 
has  come  when,  as  Joel  ii.  28  said,  "your  daughters 
shall  prophesy  "  and  "  upon  the  handmaids  in  those  days 
will  I  pour  out  My  spirit,''  then  it  is  time  that  not  only 
Jewish  women,  but  all  women  who  would  have  liked  to 
have  the  great  Miriam  give  her  prophecy,  now  work  out 
into  action  what  she  would  have  told  us  to  do.  She 
could  say,  "  I  girded  thee,  though  thou  hast  not  known 
me." 

Miriam  does  not  belong  alone  to  Jewish  women.  She 
is  leader  of  the  womanhood  of  the  world.  All  Bible- 
reading  nations  honor  her  memory.  "  The  battle  is  not 
to  the  swift,  nor  the  victory  to  the  strong,"  but  to  the 
organized  forces.  This  has  always  been  women's  way, 
to  unite  their  forces  by  sympathy,  and  let  superior  num- 
bers with  intuitive  tact  take  the  place  of  individual 


88  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

might  and  force;  so  thought  and  reason  were  first  gen- 
erated, and  the  desire  to  pass  these  on  to  their  children 
began  history.  Proverbs  xv.  22  says,  "  Without  counsel, 
purposes  are  disappointed,  but  in  the  multitude  of  coun- 
sels they  are  established."  Then  let  us  now  in  this 
multitude  of  counsels,  with  the  help  of  the  International 
Council  of  Women,  encircle  the  enlightened  women  of 
the  world  in  a  Miriam  sisterhood,  and  work  out  into 
womanly  deed  what  centuries  ago  she  would  have  bidden 
us  do.  We,  too,  must  use  our  foresight  to  protect,  on 
the  stream  of  time,  our  deliverers.  Moses  and  Aaron  as 
commanders  and  institutions  have  for  centuries  held 
sway,  but  the  prophet  bears  witness  that  God  said 
Miriam  came  with  equal  authority.  Delay  not,  then,  to 
form  special  denominational  organizations  to  do  the  work 
the  time  demands.  Miriam  is  leader  for  all  women. 
Her  prophecy  was  silenced,  but  shall  not  be  lost,  but  be 
resurrected,  and  revered  by  us  all. 

For  centuries  we  have  learned  of  the  great  Jewish 
women,  but  for  you  to  be  in  union  with  us  you  need  to 
know  of  all  Gentile  women,  whose  lives  have  been 
"  light  and  instruction  in  the  way  of  life."  The  great 
Abbess  Hilda,  of  Whitby,  who  was  to  England  her 
Miriam,  sent  to  Rome  in  650  for  the  Empress  Eudocia's 
(Athenais)  transcript  of  the  Bible  story  of  creation,  and 
thus  introduced  Hebrew  literature  into  the  abbey,  where 
she  was  educator  and  the  venerable  Bede.  She  presided 
over  a  double  monastery  of  monks  and  nuns.  Over  her 
high  seat  was  the  motto,  "True  life  of  man  if  life 
within."  She  taught  too,  "In  Thy  law  is  light.  I 
delight  to  do  Thy  will,  yea,  Thy  law  is  within  my 
heart."  She  inspired,  and  gave  opportunity  and  encour- 
agement, so  that  Caedmon  could  write  the  first  English 
poem  on  Creation,  a  suitable  subject  for  his  work,  the 
germinating  of  a  new  language  that  now  circles  the 


THE  DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA — ADAMS.  89 

earth.  He  was  led  by  Hebrew  thought,  translated  by  a 
woman,  and  taught  by  a  woman;  but  Abbess  Hilda  was 
the  protecting  sister  watching  an  opportunity  for  him. 
She  is  the  true  founder  of  the  English  church.  She  first 
protested  against  Rome's  control  of  Britain's  religion. 
This  was  the  rising  of  that  spirit  from  western  waters, 
which  felt  the  tides  of  world's  oceans;  it  protested 
against  Rome's  Mediterranean  Sea  dictation.  Hebrew 
women  must  include  her  with  many  others  among  their 
star-women  to  light  them  on  their  way. 

There  are  the  great  women  of  Holland  and  Germany, 
and  France  has  a  host  of  them,  Catholics,  Protestants  and 
Rationalists.  They  are  a  part  of  the  galaxy  of  woman- 
hood. There  is  St.  Catherine,  of  Siena,  who  did  so  much 
to  introduce  diplomacy  to  replace  war,  who  developed 
the  Italian  language  for  common  people  to  learn  high 
truths  hid  in  Latin,  and  was  "peacemaker  between 
cities,"  the  stateswoman  of  her  time.  She  belongs  to  the 
class  with  Miriam.  They  have  all  been  helpful  sisters, 
guarding  an  ark  in  the  stream  of  time,  containing  a  good 
force  which  they  foresaw  would  deliver  them  from  the 
enslaving  authority  of  some  Pharaoh. 

We  want  a  history  of  civilization  written  showing  the 
work  of  women  for  the  benefit  of  common  life,  of  civil 
peace,  and  religious  aspiration.  There  is  cumulative 
evidence  that  these  women  of  the  past,  who  are  found 
in  all  nations  and  faiths,  are  one  with  us  in  ideal.  They, 
being  women  blessed  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  had  faith  in 
the  divinity  of  the  human  soul,  and  were  mothers  of 
more  than  animal  life.  They  gave  vitality  to  souls  by 
faith  and  thought. 

"  Awake,  awake,  put  on  strength,"  as  in  the  ancient 
days,  in  the  generations  of  old.  "  Rise  up,  ye  women 
that  are  at  ease,  hear  my  voice;  ye  careless  daughters, 
give  ear  unto  my  speech." 


90  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

As  in  the  beginning,  so  now,  every  day  has  oppress- 
ing Pharaoh  leaders  that  would  enslave  to  build.  Let 
your  Jewish  women's  council,  when  organized,  be  a 
basket  to  protect  those  principles  that  are  helpful,  and 
you  will  give  law  to  the  future.  To  protect  your  spirit, 
your  ideal,  organize,  unite  your  forces,  weave  them,  and 
pitch  them  both  within  and  without,  and  in  time  the 
learning  of  the  world  will  recognize,  and  add  wisdom  to, 
your  spirit,  for  the  "  Lord  of  Hosts  is  your  strength," 
and  the  Sabeans  of  stature  shall  say,  "  Surely  God  is 
with  thee." 


TUESDAY,  SEPTEMBER  5,  1893,  2.30  P.  M. 

Mrs.  Minnie  D.  Ixmis,  of  New  York,  was  presented 
by  the  Chairman  as  the  honorary  presiding  officer  of  the 
session. 


WOMEN  WAGE-WORKERS:  WITH  REFERENCE 
TO  DIRECTING  IMMIGRANTS. 


JULIA  RICHMAN,  NEW  YORK. 


This  is  an  age  of  progress;  and,  surrounded  as  we  are 
to-day  by  every  evidence  of  the  astounding  advance  that 
the  nineteenth  century  has  carried  in  its  train,  I  feel 
that  I  am  flinging  down  a  challenge  that  will,  perhaps, 
bring  me  face  to  face  with  a  volley  of  rhetorical  bullets, 
when  I  assert  that  in  no  other  country  and  in  no  other 
direction  is  this  progress  more  noticeable  than  in  the 
relative  position  to  man  and  the  affairs  of  the  world  that 
woman  occupies  to-day.  This  advance  has  been  made 
in  almost  every  grade  in  society,  in  almost  every  walk  in 
life;  but  so  far  as  my  own  personal  observations  have 
permitted  me  to  go,  so  far  as  my  own  experiences  have 
enabled  me  to  judge,  it  is  my  belief  that  this  change, 
this  revolution,  yes,  this  progress  is  more  noticeable  in 
the  position  held  by  the  Jewish  women  of  America 
(notably  the  descendants  of  European  emigrants  driven 
from  their  homes  forty  or  fifty  years  ago),  than  in  that 
of  any  other  class  in  our  cosmopolitan  community. 

Many  conditions  have  conspired  to  bring  about  this 
change:  the  general  advance  in  the  education  of  women; 


•92  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

the  desire  to  give  children  greater  educational  advan- 
tages than  the  parents  enjoyed;  the  financial  value  of 
woman's  work;  the  frequent  necessity  for  women  to  con- 
tribute to  the  support  of  families;  the  growing  convic- 
tion that  there  is  not  a  sufficient  number  of  marrying 
men  to  supply  all  the  marriageable  girls  with  good  hus- 
bands— these  are  but  a  few,  with  only  one  of  which  it  is 
my  privilege  to  deal,  viz.,  the  financial  value  of  woman's 
work. 

Perhaps  it  was  due  to  custom  and  tradition,  perhaps 
due  to  our  oriental  origin,  but  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  there  may  have  always  been  among  us  a  certain 
number  of  Deborahs,  Ruths  and  Esthers,  in  general,  the 
wives  and  daughters  of  Jews  were,  and  in  many  parts 
of  the  world  unfortunately  still  are,  regarded  as  man's 
inferiors,  their  chief  mission  in  life  being  to  marry,  or 
rather  to  be  given  in  marriage,  to  rear  children,  to  perform 
household  duties,  and  to  serve  their  lords  and  masters. 

This  is  an  age  of  progress;  and  thousands  of  women, 
many  of  them  good,  true,  pure,  womanly  women,  have 
discovered  for  themselves,  or  have  been  led  to  discover, 
that  there  is,  at  best,  only  an  uncertain  chance  of  real 
happiness  facing  the  woman  who  calmly  settles  down 
in  her  parents'  home,  to  perform,  in  an  inane,  desultory 
way,  certain  little  household  or  social  duties,  who  lives 
on  from  day  to  day,  from  year  to  year,  without  any 
special  object  in  life,  and  who  sees  no  prospect  of  change, 
unless  a  husband  should  appear  to  rescue  her  from  so 
aimless  an  existence.  Having  made  this  discovery  they 
try  to  join,  and  frequently,  in  the  face  of  opposition,  suc- 
ceed in  joining  the  ever-increasing  army  of  women  wage- 
workers,  striving  to  lead  useful,  if  sometimes  lonely 
lives,  with  the  hope  of  making  the  world,  or  that  little 
corner  thereof  into  which  their  lines  have  fallen,  a  little 
better  and  a  little  brighter  than  they  found  it. 


WOMEN  WAGE- WORKERS — RICHMAN.  95 

I  speak  of  such  as  women  wage-workers,  although  many 
of  them  labor  for  no  more  substantial  pay  than  the 
approval  of  conscience,  and  the  satisfaction  of  feeling 
that  it  is  God's  work,  however  imperfectly  done,  that  they 
are  doing.  With  this  class  others  must  deal;  for  me  it 
is  enough  to  thank  those  whom  I  have  met,  for  the  in- 
spiration their  work  has  so  often  been  to  me,  and  to  point 
out,  humbly  and  modestly,  how  their  future  efforts  may 
make  life  sweeter  for  the  class  whose  work  and  condition 
must  form  the  main  topic  of  this  paper — the  immigrant 
wage-workers  in  America. 

Who  are  our  women  wage-workers  ?  From  the  writer 
or  artist  who  receives  thousands  for  a  single  work,  to  the 
poor  overworked  girl  in  some  pest-hole,  called  a  factory, 
killing  herself  by  inches  for  a  couple  of  dollars  a  week, 
there  is  so  wide  a  range,  divided  into  strata,  sub-strata 
and  veins  leading  to  or  from  these  sub-strata,  that  it  is 
practically  impossible  to  mark  off,  with  well-defined  lines, 
the  different  classes  of  woman's  work.  Perhaps  the 
simplest  classification  on  practical  lines  would  be  in  gen- 
eral terms: 

Women  engaged  in  professional  work. 

Women  engaged  in  domestic  service. 

Women  engaged  in  store  or  factory  work. 

The  professional  workers,  excluding  writers,  artists 
and  all  other  classes  requiring  special  talent  in  addition 
to  long  training,  let  us,  for  convenience,  divide  again  into 
two  classes;  the  one  class,  including  teachers,  governesses, 
companions,  kindergartners,  typewriters,  stenographers, 
bookkeepers,  trained  nurses,  etc.,  demands,  first,  a  general 
education,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  with  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  English  language;  and,  second,  some 
special  course  of  instruction,  to  which,  in  most  cases, 
months,  sometimes  years  must  be  devoted.  The  other 
class,  a  type  best  represented  by  dressmakers,  milliners, 


94  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

manicures,  masseuses  and  hair-dressers,  demands  little 
general  education,  in  which  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
English  language  is  not  an  essential,  a  marketable  value 
of  which  can  usually  be  acquired  by  a  special  course  of 
instruction,  which  can  be  completed  in  a  few  weeks. 

This  first  class  of  professional  work  is,  with  very  few 
exceptions,  not  open  to  immigrants,  particularly  not  to 
the  class  with  which  American  Jewish  philanthropists 
have  to  deal,  Russians,  Poles,  Hungarians  and  uneducated 
Germans.  The  exceptions  would  include  those  young 
women,  who,  by  unusual  educational  advantages  in  Eu- 
rope, may  possibly  have  been  fitted  to  give  instruction 
in  music,  German,  perhaps  French,  or  in  kindergarten 
methods;  but  the  well-educated  female  immigrant  is  not 
plentiful,  and  the  competition  for  positions  of  this  nature 
is  great,  and  I  am  afraid  that  discouragements  drive  such 
applicants  too  frequently  into  the  factories  and  shops, 
where  their  surroundings  are  neither  educating  nor 
refining. 

Into  this  second  class  of  professional  workers,  I  should 
direct  as  many  capable  immigrants  as  the  demand  for 
such  work  would  justify.  To  be  sure,  some  prepaiatory 
instruction  must  be  furnished.  Upon  what  lines  this  is 
to  be  done,  I  shall  try  to  suggest  later  on. 

The  workers,  whom,  in  general  terms,  I  have  placed 
under  the  head,  "  Women  engaged  in  domestic  service," 
are  the  cooks,  laundresses,  waitresses  and  chamber- 
maids, children's  nurses,  seamstresses,  ladies'  maids  and 
general  houseworkers.  And  when  we  have  found  a 
sound,  practical,  reasonable  plan  for  directing  the  tide 
of  immigration  into  this  channel,  we  shall  have  solved 
the  most  perplexing  woman's  problem  of  the  day. 

Good  servants  are  in  greater  demand  in  all  parts  of 
the  United  States  than  any  other  class  of  labor,  and  yet, 
while  thousands  of  homes,  many  of  them  good  homes, 


WOMEN  WAGE-WORKERS — RICHMAN.  95 

are  open  to  these  homeless,  friendless  girls,  we  find 
them  living  in  miserable  tenements,  slaving  in  dismal 
factories,  forming  corrupt  associations,  losing  their 
health  morally  as  well  as  physically,  turning  their  faces 
away  from  a  life  incomparably  better  than  the  one  they 
follow, — and  why  ? 

It  is  hardly  proper  that,  in  a  paper  prepared  to  ad- 
vance the  interests  of  immigrant  working  girls,  I  should 
put  in  a  plea  for  the  housekeeper  of  to-day.  But  the 
sight  of  the  hundreds  of  homes  which  are  annually 
broken  up,  because  incompetent  servants  make  house- 
keeping, if  not  marriage,  a  failure,  the  knowledge  of 
how  these  housekeepers  drift  into  the  evils  that  the  idle- 
ness of  hotel  or  boarding-house  life  engenders,  and  the 
certainty  that  many  a  matrimonial  craft  has  met  ship- 
wreck, the  indirect  if  not  the  direct  cause  of  which  has 
been  the  servant  question,  force  me  to  emphasize  the 
fact,  that  it  is  not  alone  the  poor  and  the  ignorant  that 
have  need  of  our  philanthropy.  If,  from  the  plan  I 
shall  attempt  to  outline  later  on,  any  good  may  come,  it 
is  not  the  immigrants  alone,  it  is  a  whole  generation 
of  housekeepers  who  will  be  benefited. 

And  now  we  come  to  the  third  class,  "  Women  en- 
gaged in  store  or  factory  work."  Perhaps  this  class 
comprises  more  grades  of  work  than  could  be  classed 
under  any  other  general  head. 

The  manager  of  one  large  dry-goods  house  reports  to 
me  that  he  employs  women  as  buyers,  forewomen,  dress- 
makers, milliners,  saleswomen,  cashiers,  stock-girls, 
office-assistants,  bundlers,  operators,  addressers  and 
scrub- women;  while  a  manufacturer  of  tin  toys  uses 
female  help  exclusively  for  painting  on  tin,  cutting  tin, 
packing  toys,  making  paper  boxes,  and  working  foot 
presses.  There  are  almost  as  many  grades  of  woman's 
work  as  there  are  branches  in  every  style  of  factory 


96  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

work.  A  word,  now  and  again,  is  all  that  I  can  say  in 
reference  to  these. 

Saleswomen  in  large  establishments  are,  on  the  whole, 
fairly  well  paid;  but  this  avenue  is  closed  to  the  immi- 
grant, until  she  shall  have  mastered  the  English  language 
to  such  an  extent  that  there  is  no  room  for  misunder- 
standing between  herself  and  her  customer. 

"  Figures  "  in  wholesale  cloak  and  suit  houses  are  well 
paid;  their  hours  are  short,  their  work  never  onerous, 
and  "  between  seasons  "  they  have  little  or  no  work  to  do. 
But,  perhaps,  no  other  class  of  working  women  in  large 
cities  is  so  directly  placed  in  the  way  of  temptation,  and 
the  mother  who  lets  her  daughter,  particularly  if  she  be 
attractive  and  vain,  take  a  position  as  a  "figure,"  has 
need  of  all  our  prayers  added  to  her  own  to  protect  her 
girl.  You,  who  are  doing  such  zealous  work  among 
working  girls,  try  to  reach  this  class.  God  help  them  I 
They  have  need  of  you. 

Until  I  commenced  to  systematically  collect  data  for 
this  paper,  which  data  have  been  furnished  me  by  the 
owners  of  large  manufacturing  industries  in  New  York 
City,  and  by  working  girls  with  whom  I  am  intimately 
acquainted,  I  am  afraid  I  shared  the  only  too  general 
opinion,  that  factory  girls  are  an  overworked,  underpaid, 
much  persecuted  class  of  wage-earners.  Now,  I  am 
hardly  prepared  to  say  that  girls  are  never  overworked 
or  never  underpaid,  but  I  am  prepared  to  assert  and  to 
prove  that  in  New  York  City,  at  least,  there  are  hun- 
dreds of  shops  and  factories,  well  lighted,  well  ventilated, 
controlled  by  humane  forewomen,  where  girls  can  be 
contented  if  not  happy,  and  where  the  pay  for  satisfac- 
tory work  is  good,  in  many  cases  excellent.  I  do  not, 
for  one  moment,  claim  that  there  are  no  factories,  life 
in  which  must  be  torture  to  the  poor  girls  therein  em- 
ployed; but  these  are  in  the  minority,  I  think  vastly 


WOMEN  WAGE-WORKERS — RICHMAN.  .97 

in  the  minority  in  those  industries  largely  controlled  by 
Jews. 

I  take  keen  pride  in  re-quoting  an  extract  taken  from 
the  government  report  on  ''  Working  Women  in  Large 
Cities,"  quoted  by  Mrs.  Campbell,  in  her  article  on 
"  Women  Wage-Earners,"  published  in  the  July  Arena: 

"  Actual  ill-treatment  by  employers  seems  to  "be  infre- 
quent. Foreigners  are  often  found  to  be  more  considerate 
of  their  help  than  native-born  men,  and  the  kindest 
proprietor  in  the  world  is  a  Jew  of  the  better  class." 

Such  being  the  case,  it  becomes  an  obligation  on  the 
part  of  those  whose  aim  it  is  to  benefit  the  immigrant 
and  the  working  woman,  to  organize  a  factory  commit- 
tee, whose  special  work  it  must  be  to  act  as  an  intelli- 
gence bureau,  to  direct  the  proper  class  of  workers 
toward  those  factories  whose  proprietors  can  appreciate 
and  properly  remunerate  good  work. 

Probably,  the  manufacture  of  clothing  and  cloaks 
gives  employment  to  a  larger  number  of  immigrant 
Jewish  girls  and  women  than  does  any  other  single 
industry  in  New  York  City,  and,  unfortunately,  many, 
perhaps  even  most,  of  these  women  are  compelled  to 
run  heavy  machines,  in  badly  lighted,  worse  ventilated 
dens.  The  manufacturer  is  only  indirectly  to  blame 
for  this,  owing  to  the  pernicious  "middleman"  system; 
and  let  me  say  right  here  that  if  "  the  kindest  proprietor 
in  the  world  is  a  Jew  of  the  better  class"  there  is  no 
employer  of  our  Jewish  working  girls  who  shows  less 
kind-heartedness  to  his  employees  than  these  Jews  of  the 
other  class,  call  them  middlemen,  or  sweaters,  or  what 
you  please.  They  are,  with  few  exceptions,  so  hard,  so 
harsh,  so  grasping,  so  unreasoning,  and  so  unreasonable, 
that  on  several  occasions,  in  my  capacity  as  president 
of  a  Working  Girls'  Club,  I  tried  to  find  better  paying 
positions  for  some  of  these  girls,  in  order  to  take  them 

7 


98  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

away  from  shops  owned  or  controlled  by  their  own 
fathers.  I  recall  one  case  distinctly — a  girl,  not  over  fif- 
teen, whose  father  runs  a  shop  for  the  manufacture  of 
ladies'  wrappers — over  twenty  machines  in  two  small 
rooms  lighted  by  kerosene  lamps,  the  air  vile,  the  lan- 
guage not  less  so,  the  employees  paid  by  piece-work, 
laboring  from  seven  in  the  morning  until  after  ten  at 
night,  and  for  this,  the  girl  I  refer  to  received  three  dol- 
lars a  week,  of  which  she  paid  her  father  two  dollars 
and  a  half  for  board.  I  saw  her  growing  hollow-eyed, 
round-shouldered,  narrow-chested,  with  a  never-ceasing 
pain  in  the  back.  It  was  not  until  I  found  a  place  for 
her  in  which  she  earned  six  dollars  a  week,  working 
daily  from  8  to  6,  that  her  father  would  let  her  leave  his 
shop,  and  then  only  upon  her  promise  to  pay  him  four 
dollars  a  week  for  board. 

It  is  this  class  which  requires  our  attention.  It  is  in 
these  sweaters'  shops  that  the  immigrants  congregate, 
and  it  is  away  from  these  dens  that  we  must  turn  the 
tide  of  women-workers.  But  how  ?  I  regret  that  I  had 
not  the  time  to  obtain  statistics  from  all  the  great  manu- 
facturing industries  in  the  country,  but  from  six  of  them, 
manufacturers  of  cloaks,  ladies'  underwear,  men's  shirts, 
tin  toys,  cigars  and  ribbons,  I  have  obtained  much 
valuable  information,  valuable  not  only  because  it  shows 
existing  conditions,  but  because  it  furnishes  the  facts 
which  should  indicate  the  means  for  arranging  and 
systematizing  a  well-defined  plan  for  directing  immi- 
grants toward  those  industries  wherein  their  capabilities 
will  command  the  best  price,  and  sending  the  incapables 
in  those  directions  where  their  incapability  will  do  the 
least  harm  to  themselves,  their  fellow-workers  and  their 
employers.  In  certain  industries,  only  a  partial  knowl- 
edge of  the  English  language  is  required;  in  others, 
girls  who  do  not  speak  any  English  can  find  employment, 


WOMEN  WAGE- WORKERS — RICHMAN.  99 

in  some  classes  of  work,  the  foremen  prefer  German  and 
Bohemian  hands;  in  others,  Poles  or  Russians  are  pre- 
ferred. 

All  who  have  supplied  me  with  information  are  unani- 
mous in  their  statement  that,  for  the  same  grade  of 
work,  there  is  no  difference  in  the  pay  given  to  immi- 
grants and  to  native-born,  and  in  most  cases,  women 
receive  the  same  pay  as  men  for  the  same  kind  of  work. 
The  same  manufacturers  assert  that  the  foreigners  and  the 
native-born  women  in  their  employ  affiliate  readily  with 
each  other,  that  only  in  the  rarest  instances  does  any  ill- 
feeling  prevail,  and  when  such  is  the  case,  the  foreigner 
is  responsible,  usually  because  her  personal  habits  are 
such  that  she  becomes  objectionable.  It  is  a  customary 
thing  for  the  native-born  to  show  a  desire  to  help  the 
immigrant  where  the  latter  appears  worthy  of  such  help. 

To  note  down  in  greater  detail  the  general  conditions 
of  our  factory  girls  would  take  time  and  space  that 
ought  better  to  be  devoted  to  suggestions  for  the  future, 
and  so  I  must  pass  on  to  that  point,  stopping  just  a 
moment  to  quote  from  a  letter  written  to  me  by  a  manu- 
facturer who  personally  superintends  a  large  factory: 
"  I  have  been  employing  help,  principally  the  class  you 
are  interested  in,  for  thirteen  years,  and  my  experience 
has  taught  me  to  discriminate  very  sharply  against  cer- 
tain classes  of  immigrants.  I  will  cite  two: 

"  First,  Italians  of  South  Italy.  They  are  uncleanly, 
and  in  painfully  many  instances,  seem  to  lack  the  germs, 
so  that  development  has  no  basis  to  start  on. 

"  Second,  Russian-Polish  Jews.  •  They  are  suspicious, 
dissatisfied,  and  always  want  pay  and  preferment  ahead 
of  the  knowledge  and  dexterity  acquired.  They  are 
servile,  almost  cringing,  when  they  start;  they  soon 
become  arrogant  and  impertinent,  and  have  almost  a 
craze  to  get  away  from  actual  work  themselves,  but 


ioo  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

want  to  get  at  the  commercial  side,  to  start  for  them- 
selves, and  employ  others  to  do  the  work.  They  also 
marry  young,  and  come  under  another  general  class  I 
discriminate  against,  viz.,  those  nationalities  that  marry 
young.  It  is  a  great  deal  of  trouble  and  expense  teaching 
girls  a  trade,  and  if  they  abandon  the  trade  for  domestic 
duties  soon  after  learning  it,  we  are  *  out '  on  the  trans- 
action." 

How  to  improve  the  condition  of  the  present  army  of 
working  women  is  a  problem  which  our  working  girls1 
clubs  and  our  sisterhoods  are  slowly  but  bravely  solving, 
and  will  you  pardon  me  if  I  forget  my  theme  for  a 
moment,  in  order  to  pay  tribute  and  to  offer  my  thanks 
to  the  founder  of  the  working  girls'  club  movement,  to 
Miss  Dodge,  the  truest,  grandest,  noblest  woman  I  ever 
met,  a  woman  whose  smallest  act  serves  as  an  inspiration 
to  those  who  try  to  humbly  follow  in  her  footsteps  ?  If 
we  but  stop  to  contemplate  the  breadth  and  magnitude 
of  the  magnificent  philanthropy  which  is  the  outgrowth 
of  her  personal  influence  upon  a  handful  of  working 
girls,  we  have  no  right  to  pause  or  hesitate  in  organizing 
a  kindred  movement,  for  fear  of  failure.  Nothing  fails 
that  is  properly  conceived,  carefully  carried  out  and 
zealously  promulgated,  and  to  those  pessimists  who  may 
declare  that  the  following  plan  or  some  modification 
thereof  is  Utopian  or  impossible,  I  can  only  say,  '*  Look 
at  the  Association  of  Working  Girls'  Clubs,  examine 
into  its  history,  see  what  it  has  accomplished,  and  then 
withdraw  your  prophecies  of  failure." 

It  has  been  truly  said  that  the  first  aim  of  every  effort 
intended  for  the  benefit  of  the  mass  of  workers  is  to  dis- 
entangle the  individual  from  the  mass.  In  work  such  as 
I  hope  to  outline,  this  disentangling  of  the  individual  is 
essential,  as  the  entire  success  of  the  scheme  depends 
upon  the  judgment  displayed  in  selecting  the  proper 


WOMEN  WAGE- WORKERS — RICHMAN.  101 

work  for  each  individual  to  do.  Why  make  a  poor  dress- 
maker of  one  who  with  a  little  help  might  have  become 
a  competent  nurse?  Or  why  make  an  inferior  type- 
writer of  a  girl  who  might  have  become  a  skilful  mil- 
liner ?  In  general,  the  plan  is  this: 

In  every  large  city  establish  a  working  women's 
bureau  or  agency  on  strictly  business  principles.  This 
is  not  to  be  a  charity.  Working  women  as  a  class  ask 
no  charity;  as  Mrs.  L/owell  states  the  case,  "  Charity  is 
the  insult  added  to  the  injury  done  to  the  mass  of  the 
people  by  insufficient  payment  for  work." 

This  bureau  should  be  operated  on  the  same  general 
basis  as  teachers'  or  dramatic  agencies,  or  even  intelli- 
gence offices.  Every  candidate  for  a  position  of  any 
nature  under  the  head  of  woman's  work  must  be  prop- 
erly registered,  and  must  pay  a  small  fee  as  soon  as  the 
bureau  shall  have  furnished  her  with  employment  of  the 
kind  required.  The  bureau,  through  its  agents,  which, 
outside  of  the  necessary  clerical  force,  should  be  com- 
posed of  an  unlimited  number  of  volunteers,  must  place 
itself  in  communication  with  shops,  factories,  mills,  stores, 
families  and  every  other  field  wherein  women  are  em- 
ployed, and  must  agree  to  furnish  competent  help  of 
every  kind  upon  demand.  The  volunteer  corps  of  agents 
to  supply  factory  hands  should  be  selected  from  many 
and  varied  sources.  Wives  and  daughters  of  manufac- 
turers, fore-women  in  shops  and  capable  working  girls, 
who  could  gain  a  knowledge  of  conditions  within 
factories  and  stores  that  might  be  withheld  from  the 
casual  observer,  should  be  largely  represented.  There 
should  be  a  separate  corps  of  agents  to  supply  help  to 
families,  from  governesses  down  to  scullery  maids,  if 
necessary.  Still  another  corps  must  take  charge  of 
special  help:  the  dressmaker,  the  masseuse,  the  skilled 
nurse,  etc. 


io2  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

The  first  outlay  for  an  enterprise  like  this  would 
necessarily  be  large,  but,  after  a  time,  the  bureau  might 
become  self-supporting.  That  this  is  not  too  optimistic  a 
view  becomes  evident  when  you  calculate  the  enormous 
amount  of  money  that  manufacturers,  heads  of  families 
and  others  who  employ  female  help  expend  solely  in 
advertising  in  the  columns  of  the  daily  papers.  Why 
should  not  such  money  be  turned  to  the  practical  use  of 
some  intelligent  movement  like  this?  Could  we  not 
train  the  employer  to  see  that  well-selected  help,  which 
a  reputable  organization  could  at  all  times  furnish,  is 
worth  the  payment  of  a  fee  equal  to  the  price  of  an 
advertisement  ?  Could  we  not,  at  the  same  time,  show 
the  immigrant  that  furnishing  her  with  employment  of 
a  suitable  nature,  in  an  establishment  that  the  same  rep- 
utable organization  feels  no  hesitancy  in  recommending, 
is  also  worth  a  fee  ? 

Do  you  realize  how  many  thousands  of  dollars  are 
annually  expended  in  a  city  like  this  or  New  York  in 
fees  at  intelligence  offices,  to  secure,  in  most  cases, 
thoroughly  incapable  domestic  help  ?  If  we  could 
establish,  in  connection  with  this  bureau,  a  training 
school  for  servants,  from  which  we  could  supply  compe- 
tent cooks,  laundresses,  nursemaids,  waitresses,  etc.,  tell 
me,  you  housekeepers  who  hear  me,  would  there  be  any 
lack  of  dollars  flowing  from  your  pockets  into  ours? 
And  this  brings  me  to  the  most  important  point  in  my 
paper.  Strange  that  a  spinster,  above  all,  a  school 
teacher,  one  who  is  supposed  to  have  escaped  the  cares 
and  worries  of  housekeeping,  should  feel  so  deeply  upon 
a  matter  which  has  no  bearing  upon  her  profession;  but 
realizing  how  many  young  housekeepers  lose  health  and 
happiness,  observing  how  many  lovely  homes  are  annu- 
ally broken  up,  and  seeing  how  many  husbands  seek 
comfort  at  the  clubs  only  because  the  housekeeping 


WOMEN  WAGE-WORKERS — RICHMAN.  103 

wheels  run  off  the  track,  how  can  any  woman  feel 
unconcerned  as  to  the  result  ?  And  then  look  at  the 
other  side.  How  can  any  woman  with  feeling  look  upon 
the  hundreds  of  young  girls  living  in  squalid  tenements, 
(did  I  say  living?  it  is  barely  existing)  bending  over 
machines  in  crowded  factories,  surrounded  in  the  evening 
by  coarse,  if  not  evil  influences;  how  can  she,  I  say,  see- 
ing this,  and  feeling  that  in  hundreds  of  families  these 
same  girls  could  find  easier  work,  comfortable  beds,  good 
food  and  refined  surroundings,  how  can  she  help  passing 
judgment  on  some  one  that  this  condition  prevails? 
What  right  has  she  to  keep  quiet,  when  raising  her  voice 
in  protest  may  make  at  least  a  few  women  pause  to  think  ? 

And  why  is  it  that  girls  are  so  loth  to  enter  domestic 
service  ?  The  poor  girls  and  their  mothers  are  in  part 
to  blame,  because  they  have  not  been  trained  to  do 
housework;  but  is  there  nothing  on  the  conscience  of 
the  housekeepers?  Do  you  think  if  tradition  (or  is  it 
perhaps  only  report  ?)  had  not  led  these  girls  to  feel  that 
in  entering  domestic  service,  they  were  losing  all  their 
independence,  and  were  often  placing  themselves  in  the 
way  of  petty  meannesses  which  tyrannical  mistresses 
practice  in  their  little  kingdoms,  that  they  would  so  resist 
every  effort  to  make  them  enter  into  private  homes  ? 

May  I  quote  once  more  from  Mrs.  Campbell  ? 

"  In  the  matter  of  domestic  service,  even  after  every 
admission  has  been  made  as  to  the  incompetence  and 
insubordination  that  the  employer  must  often  face,  the 
Commissioner  for  Minnesota,  after  stating  the  advan- 
tages of  the  domestic  servant  over  the  general  worker, 
adds  that  only  about  a  fifth  of  those  who  employ  them 
are  fit  to  deal  with  any  worker,  injustice  and  oppression 
characterizing  their  methods." 

What  a  startling  accusation  !  Only  one  housekeeper 
out  of  every  five  fit  to  be  the  mistress  of  servants !  I 


104  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

spoke  of  a  training  school  for  servants  in  connection 
with  this  bureau — but  who  will  organize  the  training 
school  for  mistresses  ? 

Now,  how  could  a  training  school  for  servants  be 
arranged  ?  My  idea  is  somewhat  like  this: 

Lease  or  buy  (when  the  money  shall  have  been 
advanced)  a  large  house;  furnish  it  with  offices,  recep- 
tion room,  bed-rooms  or  dormitories,  bath-rooms,  kitchen, 
dining-room,  laundry  and  nursery.  Rent  out  the  bed- 
rooms to  respectable  immigrant  girls,  who  have  no 
homes,  and  who  otherwise  must  drift  into  tenement 
boarding  places,  already  overcrowded;  furnish  them  with 
good,  plain  board  at  a  moderate  price;  furnish,  perhaps, 
table-board  for  those  who  prefer  to  sleep  elsewhere;  do 
their  laundry  work  and  sewing  at  the  lowest  figure  pos- 
sible. Also  arrange  to  take  in,  at  low  figures,  laundry 
work,  plain  sewing,  mending,  perhaps  even  dress- 
making for  such  other  immigrants  as  are  not  boarders 
or  lodgers  at  the  bureau.  Here  we  have  a  regular 
source  of  income  in  addition  to  practically  improving 
the  lives  of  these  boarders.  Utilize  the  house  by  form- 
ing classes  of  resident  girls  who  are  unemployed,  to  do 
the  general  work,  bed-making,  washing,  ironing,  cook- 
ing, house-cleaning,  mending,  etc.  This  gives  the 
opportunity  for  training  girls  as  general  house-workers, 
chambermaids,  plain  cooks,  laundresses,  seamstresses 
and  waitresses. 

A  capable  girl  who  is  willing  can  learn  very  quickly 
how  to  adapt  herself  to  one  particular  class  of  work, 
and  there  need  be  no  lack  of  applicants,  if  the  bureau 
furnishes  good  places  as  soon  as  pupils  are  sufficiently 
proficient.  A  strict  register  should  be  kept,  not  only  of 
the  qualifications  of  girls,  but  of  the  shortcomings  of 
mistresses.  Women  who  do  not  treat  help  well  must  be 
taught  better,  or  must  be  "boycotted."  In  the  same 


WOMEN  WAGE- WORKERS — RICHMAN.  105 

way,  classes  should  be  formed  in  dressmaking,  milli- 
nery, manicuring,  hairdressing,  etc. 

All  this  instruction  should  be  given  primarily  to  train 
the  pupils  to  make  a  living,  but  a  second  advantage 
appears  in  this:  in  practicing  work  of  this  kind,  the 
girls  are  gradually  acquiring  habits  of  greater  refine- 
ment and  culture.  Table  manners  and  personal  habits 
will  improve,  and  with  their  improvement  a  long  stride 
will  have  been  taken  away  from  the  old  landmarks  of 
ignorance  and  vulgarity. 

An  arrangement  might  be  made  whereby  poor  women, 
for  a  small  fee,  could  be  permitted  to  leave  babies  or 
small  children  in  the  care  of  the  bureau  for  several 
hours  each  day,  and  these  little  ones  would  form  the 
practice  material  by  means  of  which  a  class  of  children's 
nurses  could  be  trained.  And  so  the  work  could  grow 
in  every  direction. 

I  feel  that  I  have  but  crudely  expressed  what  I  have 
in  mind,  but  no  plan,  however  cleverly  designed,  is  ever 
worked  out  just  as  it  was  planned.  As  work  of  this 
kind  grows,  the  experience  of  the  workers,  and  the 
needs  of  the  work  will,  from  time  to  time,  suggest  ways 
and  means  for  its  development,  which  none  but  the 
inspired  could  have  foreseen. 

The  Jews  of  America,  particularly  the  Jews  of  New 
York  City,  are,  perhaps,  the  most  charitable  class  of 
people  in  the  whole  world.  Time,  labor  and  money  are 
given  freely  in  some  directions.  But  charity  is  not  always 
philanthropy;  and  we  have  reached  a  point  in  the  devel- 
opment of  various  sociological  problems  which  makes  it 
imperative  that  philanthropy  be  placed  above  charity. 
The  need  of  charity  must  disappear  as  we  teach  the 
rising  generation  how  to  improve  its  condition. 

Almost  all  the  female  immigrants  who  come  to  this 
shore,  through  lack  of  knowledge  as  to  the  means  by 


io6  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

which  they  can  swing  themselves  above  the  discouraging 
conditions  which  face  them,  sink  down  into  the  moral 
and  intellectual  maelstrom  of  the  American  ghettos, 
becoming  first  household  or  factory  drudges,  and  then 
drifting  into  one  of  three  channels:  that  of  the  careless 
slattern,  of  the  giddy  and  all-too-frequently  sinful  gad- 
about, or  of  the  weary,  discontented  wife. 

We  must  disentangle  the  individual  from  the  mass. 
We  must  find  a  way  or  several  ways  of  leading  these 
girls,  one  by  one,  away  from  the  shadows  which  envelop 
them,  if  not  into  the  sunshine  of  happiness  and  pros- 
perity, at  least,  into  the  softening  light  of  content,  born 
of  pleasant  surroundings,  congenial  occupations,  and  the 
inward  satisfaction  of  a  life  well  spent. 

Working  girls'  clubs  are  doing  a  grand  work,  but 
these  clubs  never  reach  the  lower  strata.  There  must 
be  something  before  and  beyond  the  working  girls' 
clubs,  something  that  shall  lay  hold  of  the  immigrant 
before  she  has  been  sucked  down  into  the  stratum  of 
physical  misery  or  moral  oblivion,  from  which  depths  it 
becomes  almost  impossible  to  raise  her. 

In  this  age  of  materialism,  in  these  days  of  close 
inquiry  as  to  the  "  Why  ? "  of  every  condition,  it  has 
been  claimed  that  the  ever-increasing  proportion  of  un- 
married women  among  the  Jews  of  America  is  largely 
due  to  the  independent  position  women  make  for  them- 
selves, first,  by  becoming  wage-earners,  and  second, 
through  the  development  of  self-reliance  brought  about 
by  societies,  working  girls'  clubs  and  kindred  move- 
ments. If  marriage  always  meant  happiness,  and  if 
celibacy  always  meant  unhappiness,  to  make  women 
independent  and  self-reliant  would  be  a  calamity.  But, 
in  the  face  of  so  much  married  unhappiness  and  so  much 
unmarried  contentment,  it  is  hardly  pessimistic  to  wish 
that  there  might  be  fewer  marriages  consummated,  until 


WOMEN  WAGE- WORKERS — RICHMAN.  107 

the  contracting  parties  show  more  discrimination  in  their 
selection  of  mates. 

The  saddest  of  many  sad  conditions  that  face  our 
poor  Jewish  girls  is  the  class  of  husbands  that  is  being 
selected  for  them  by  relatives.  It  is  the  rule,  not  the 
exception,  for  the  father,  elder  brother,  or  some  other 
near  relative  of  a  Jewish  working  girl,  to  save  a  few 
hundred  dollars,  by  which  means  he  purchases  some 
gross,  repulsive  Pole  or  Russian  as  a  husband  for  the 
girl.  That  her  whole  soul  revolts  against  such  a  mar- 
riage, that  the  man  betrays,  even  before  marriage,  the 
brutality  of  his  nature,  that  he  may,  perhaps,  have  left 
a  wife  and  family  in  Russia,  all  this  counts  for  nothing. 
Marry  him  she  must,  and  another  generation  of  worth- 
less Jews  is  the  lamentable  result. 

I  wish  it  distinctly  understood  that  there  is  no  desire 
on  my  part  to  disparage  matrimony;  indeed,  happy  wife- 
hood  and  motherhood  are  to  my  mind  the  highest  mis- 
sions any  woman  can  fulfill;  but  in  leading  these  girls 
to  see  the  horror  of  ill-assorted  marriages,  I  intend  to 
teach  them  to  recognize  the  fact  that  many  of  them 
may  never  find  suitable  husbands;  and  recognizing  this 
fact,  they  must  fill  up  their  lives  with  useful,  perhaps 
even  noble  work.  Should  the  possible  husband  fail  to 
appear,  their  lives  will  not  have  been  barren;  should  he 
come,  will  a  girl  make  a  less  faithful  wife  and  mother 
because  she  has  been  taught  to  be  faithful  in  other  things  ? 

And  so  I  could  go  on  showing  how,  in  every  direction, 
the  harm  and  the  evil  grow,  until  the  day  will  come 
when  charity,  even  with  millions  at  her  disposal,  will 
not  be  able  to  do  good.  It  is  easier  to  save  from 
drowning  than  to  resuscitate  the  drowned.  Disentangle 
the  individual  from  the  mass;  create  a  new  mass  of  dis- 
entangled individuals,  who  shall  become  the  leading 
spirits  in  helping  their  benighted  sisters,  and  with  God's 
help,  the  future  will  redeem  the  present  and  the  past. 


WOMEN  WAGE-WORKERS:  WITH  REFERENCE 
TO  DIRECTING  IMMIGRANTS. 

(Discussion  of  the  foregoing  paper.) 


SADIE  G.  LEOPOLD,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 


It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  add  a  few  words  to  the 
excellent  and  instructive  paper  just  read,  and  in  ex- 
pressing my  appreciation  thereof,  state  those  points  that 
most  appeal  to  me,  in  this  question  of  women  as  wage- 
workers,  with  special  reference  to  directing  immigrants. 
The  story  of  the  working  woman,  in  one  large  city,  is, 
with  trifling  differences  in  conditions,  the  story  of  the 
working  woman  in  all,  and  everywhere  the  fact  obtains, 
that  while  in  the  better  order  of  trades,  woman  may 
prosper,  in  the  greater  proportion,  wearing  and  unceas- 
ing labor  serves  simply  to  ward  off  actual  starvation,  the 
"  life-limit "  in  wages  having  been  established  long  before 
the  term  became  current  in  political  economy.  That 
woman  is  a  permanent  and  conspicuous  factor  in  the  labor 
market  of  her  country,  the  three  million  now  earning 
their  livelihood  in  the  United  States,  at  an  average 
weekly  income  of  five  dollars  and  twenty-four  cents, 
will  bear  witness  to.  The  better  paying  trades  are  filled 
with  women  who  have  had  some  form  of  training,  or 
have,  by  passing  from  one  handicraft  to  another,  found 
that  for  which  they  have  most  aptitude.  It  is  to  sewing, 
however,  the  most  overcrowded,  most  underpaid,  of  all 
vocations,  that  all  the  more  helpless  of  the  vast  army 
turn  at  once.  It  is  here  that  the  immigrant,  bewildered, 
penniless,  ignorant  even  of  the  language  of  the  land 

(108) 


WOMEN  WAGE- WORKERS — LEOPOLD. 

she  has  entered,  seeks  her  precarious  subsistence,  her 
sole  method  of  obtaining  work  often  being  through  the 
medium  of  the  middleman,  or  so-called  sweater.  Accord- 
ing to  the  seventh  biennial  report  of  the  Illinois  bureau 
of  labor  statistics,  there  are,  in  Chicago  alone,  666  sweat 
shops,  and  10,933  persons  connected  with  them,  working 
either  in  the  shops  or  at  home;  as  this  inquiry  was  not 
made  during  the  busiest  season,  it  is  the  judgment  of 
the  agents  that  there  are  probably  800  such  shops  and 
13,000  people  deriving  work  and  wages  therefrom.  The 
new  factory  and  workshop  inspection  law  of  the  State  of 
Illinois,  passed  by  the  thirty-eighth  General  Assembly, 
the  most  rigid  State  law  ever  enacted  on  the  subject, 
provides  that  each  workshop  shall  be  kept  in  a  cleanly 
condition,  and  in  forbidding  that  any  female  be  em- 
ployed in  any  factory  or  workshop  more  than  eight 
hours  in  any  one  day  or  forty-eight  hours  in  any  one 
week,  and  by  prohibiting  the  employment  of  children 
under  fourteen  years  of  age,  it  strikes  at  the  very  worst 
evils  of  the  sweating  system,  which  means  the  maximum 
of  profit  for  the  employer,  the  minimum  of  wages  for  the 
employed.  We  should  all  welcome  the  public  sentiment 
that  aims  at  the  betterment  of  the  hard  conditions  the 
poor  groan  under,  and,  by  giving  our  hearty  co-operation 
to  the  inspectors  in  their  work,  make  the  enforcement 
of  this  just  law  possible.  Mrs.  Florence  J.  Kelly,  the 
Chief  Inspector  of  Labor  for  this  State,  said  to  me  in  a 
recent  conversation  on  the  subject,  that  it  "is  to  the 
credit  of  the  Jewish  manufacturers  that  they  were  the 
first  to  respond  to  the  new  order,  and  cheerfully  posted 
the  revised  rules  upon  the  walls  of  their  factories." 

The  terrible  struggle  for  existence  at  the  bottom  of 
the  social  ladder  grows  ever  fiercer,  and  no  pen  can 
picture  the  want  and  the  privation  that  prevail  among 
the  proletariat.  Helen  Campbell,  whose  investigations, 


no  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

published  under  the  title  of  "  Prisoners  of  Poverty," 
created  a  wave  of  indignation  against  existing  circum- 
stances, says,  in  one  instance,  in  regard  to  the  workers 
in  the  wretched  tenements  of  New  York:  "  As  one 
woman  selects,  well  pleased,  garment  after  garment, 
daintily  tucked  and  trimmed  and  finished  beyond  any 
capacity  of  ordinary  home-sewing,  marveling  a  little  that 
a  few  dollars  can  give  such  lavish  return,  there  arises, 
from  narrow  attic  and  dark,  foul  basement  and  crowded 
factory,  the  cry  of  the  women  whose  life-blood  is  on 
these  garments.  Through  burning,  scorching  days  of 
summer,  through  marrow-piercing  cold  of  winter,  in 
hunger  and  rags,  with  white-faced  children  at  their 
knees,  crying  for  more  bread,  or  silent  from  long  weak- 
ness, looking  with  blank  eyes  at  the  flying  needle,  these 
women  toil  on,  twelve,  fourteen,  sixteen  hours,  even, 
before  the  fixed  task  is  done." 

How  can  we  save  our  immigrant'  from  the  horrors  of 
such  an  existence  ?  Held  down  by  her  own  incompe- 
tence, powerless  to  help  herself,  and  if  she  be  a  mother, 
unable  even  to  protect  her  little  ones  from  the  impurity 
of  their  surroundings !  The  women's  protective  agen- 
cies, with  all  their  nobility  of  purpose,  can  hardly  reach 
her;  the  trades'  unions  of  the  working  women  them- 
selves, and  there  are  six  of  them  in  Chicago,  with  all 
their  power  for  improvement  and  capability  of  broaden- 
ing the  character  of  their  members,  by  teaching  them 
to  think  rather  of  the  good  of  the  all  than  of  the  part, 
are  still  beyond  her.  A  trip  through  the  densely  popu- 
lated quarters  of  our  city  will  discover  to  us  whole  set- 
tlements of  foreign  nationalities,  affiliating  neither  with 
each  other  nor  with  the  people  of  the  country  they  seek 
a  living  in.  Packed  together  in  hovels,  or  worse  still, 
in  teeming  tenements,  they  acquire  not  the  virtues,  but 
the  vices,  of  their  neighbors,  the  children  naturally  not 


WOMEN  WAGE- WORKERS — LEOPOLD.  in 

escaping  contamination.  Philanthropic  aid  on  the  part 
of  the  many  has  thus  far  not  availed,  nor  has  the  indi- 
vidual himself  succeeded  in  ameliorating  his  own  con- 
dition. To  me  it  seems,  as  Mary  K.  Young  says,  that 
in  centering  our  energies  on  work  among  the  older 
people,  we  are  beginning  at  the  wrong  end  of  the 
question. 

Whatever  we  may  attempt,  this  generation  must  still 
toil  and  suffer  and  weep;  it  is  the  old  story  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  wandering  in  the  desert;  they  may  look 
into  the  promised  land — it  is  for  their  children  to  pos- 
sess it.  With  the  mother  we  can  do  nothing.  Marry- 
ing young,  as  Russian  Jews  will,  she  is  old  at  thirty; 
the  outgrowth  of  a  civilization  that  looks  upon  woman 
as  an  inferior  being;  beset  with  all  the  superstitions  that 
centuries  of  religion's  darkness  have  put  upon  her,  unen- 
lightened, and  in  some  instances  ignorant  of  the  simplest 
laws  of  household  cleanliness,  her  one  strong  passion  is 
her  love  for  her  children,  through  them  alone  can  she 
be  reached.  Her  daughter  rushes  to  the  factory,  work- 
ing with  intelligence  and  precision,  oftentimes  for  no 
compensation,  to  learn  a  trade;  proud  of  her  work,  she 
is  the  brightest  element  in  immigrant  labor.  Not  over 
modest,  she  owns  one  beautiful  characteristic,  the  giving 
freely  her  scant  wages  for  the  support  of  the  family;  but 
domestic  service,  as  a  means  of  gaining  a  livelihood,  is 
to  the  Russian  girl  the  very  badge  of  slavery.  Could 
we  but  teach  her  that  this  department  of  woman's  work 
is  not  the  very  depth  of  degradation,  one  side  of  the 
question  might  be  solved.  Were  such  service  placed 
upon  a  strictly  business  basis,  and  its  social  disabilities 
removed,  with  justice  for  a  foundation,  and  a  strict  ful- 
filment of  duty  as  an  understanding  on  the  part  of  both 
mistress  and  maid,  this  task  might  be  more  easily 
accomplished. 


ii2  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

As  early  as  1868,  women  like  Gail  Hamilton  advo- 
cated the  establishment  of  industrial  schools,  so  that 
more  practical  shape  might  be  given  to  the  higher  edu- 
cation of  women.  Such  schools,  established  now  and 
modeled  after  the  Cooper  Institute  of  New  York,  might 
have,  as  their  work,  the  studies  of  dressmaking,  teleg- 
raphy, stenography,  bookkeeping  and  typewriting. 

Ask  the  teachers  of  the  night  classes  held  in  connec- 
tion with  our  Jewish  training  school  on  Judd  street, 
what  they  are  doing  for  the  young  women  of  the  Russian 
quarter.  As  an  example,  in  three  months,  a  course  of 
dressmaking  is  there  completed,  and  the  skillful  graduate 
is  enabled  to  earn  from  one  dollar  a  day  and  upwards  by 
serving  in  private  families.  English  is  taught  there,  and 
history  and  geography,  valuable  not  only  from  an  edu- 
cational standpoint,  but  in  offering  something  better 
than  these  young  girls  can  ever  know  in  the  narrow, 
untidy  confines  of  their  homes,  and  keeping  them  from 
the  demoralizing  associations  otherwise  sought  and  found 
on  the  streets.  These  night  schools,  with  their  capable, 
self-sacrificing  teachers,  and  social  settlements,  like  Hull 
House,  with  noble  women  like  Miss  Jane  Addams 
at  their  head,  are  powers  that  work  only  incalculable 
good.  Reforms  require  patience;  one  can  not  have  seed 
and  flower  and  fruit  at  once,  and  the  very  child  is  the 
seed,  the  industrial  school,- in  its  largest  sense,  the  agent, 
which  brings  the  best  within  it  to  a  glorious  fruition. 
We  must  begin  with  the  little  ones,  for  it  is  more  possi- 
ble to  train  the  habits  of  the  young  than  to  change  those 
of  the  old,  and  it  is  easy  to  remove  prejudice  and  dis- 
trust and  even  the  taint  of  evil  surroundings  from  the 
heart  of  a  little  child.  The  right  to  be  joyous  and  pure 
is  born  in  every  little  one,  and  to  teach  it  "  neatness  and 
cleanliness  and  a  love  of  nature  and  its  fellow  man  "  is 
the  very  foundation  of  the  kindergarten  system.  It  is 


WOMEN  WAGE- WORKERS — LEOPOLD.  113 

from  the  kindergarten  that  "  the  poorest  child  takes 
home  to  the  tenement  house  something  strong  enough 
when  growth  has  come,  to  abolish  the  tenement  house 
forever."  To  develop,  not  only  the  mind,  but  the  heart 
and  the  hand,  makes  pauperism  impossible,  and  builds 
up  within  it  the  power  of  becoming  the  future  self-sup- 
porting citizen.  A  training  from  the  beginning,  that 
beauty  and  order  and  law  are  the  ideals  that  must  govern 
our  daily  striving,  that  work  is  honorable  and  a  love  of 
it  a  power  to  sweeten  life,  is  the  groundwork  of  a  better 
order  of  society.  Were  each  member  of  the  human  family 
to  receive  an  education  sufficiently  wide  to  give  him  the 
necessary  skill  to  earn  a  fair  livelihood,  the  sweat  shop 
might  be  abandoned,  and  the  grinding  out  of  life  with 
the  slow  toil  of  the  needle  be  known  no  more.  Well 
were  it  for  the  general  population,  if  industrial  schools 
were  established  in  every  ward  of  every  city.  Until  that 
is  done,  however,  the  duty  devolves  upon  us  to  build 
them  in  the  heart  of  the  districts  where  the  Russian  Jews 
abound,  for  we  must  take  care  of  our  own,  first,  because 
their  own  prejudices  preclude  their  going  to  others  for 
aid,  and  second,  because  it  is  to  our  own  interest  to  do 
so,  they  being  looked  upon  by  those,  not  familiar  with 
the  true  conditions,  as  typical  of  our  own  culture  and 
civilization  and  religion. 

If  we  can  successfully  combat  the  tendency,  so  appar- 
ent amongst  our  immigrants,  to  herd  together  in  certain 
sections  of  our  cities,  which,  in  consequence,  have  vir- 
tually become  a  new  Ghetto,  we  shall  have  taken  a 
mighty  step  toward  the  solution  of  this  vexatious  prob- 
lem. These  Ghettos  are  not  an  advantage  either  to  the 
Jewish  communities  at  large  or  to  the  Jewish  refugees 
themselves.  None  will  dispute  the  desirability  of 
detaching  the  individual  from  the  mass,  but  whoever 

will  attempt  this  will  be  met  at  once  by  the  natural 
8 


ii4  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

instinct  of  people  in  such  circumstances,  to  crowd 
together,  impelled  by  the  instinctive  belief,  that  in 
greater  numbers  there  is  safety  for  them  and  the  assur- 
ance of  sympathy;  while  again,  and  this  is  a  factor  of  no 
small  moment,  their  religious  ideas  and  habits  and  cus- 
toms make  for  herd  life,  and  are  fatal  to  individual 
location  or  independent  regeneration.  The  evil  is  so 
great,  the  question  so  wide  in  its  ramifications,  that  more 
reforms  than  one  must  be  accomplished.  There  is  merit 
in  every  method,  and  whatever  be  done,  the  best  we  can 
hope  for  practically,  for  the  time  being,  and  until  our 
whole  social  order  is  reorganized  on  a  basis  of  greater 
justice  and  fuller  love,  and  cemented  by  stronger  sense 
of  responsibility,  is  to  work  a  palliative,  not  a  cure. 
Life,  however,  demands  certain  work  of  each  one  of  us, 
and  each  has  a  part  to  play  in  the  sad  drama  of  his 
unfortunate  neighbor's  existence.  The  main  thing  for 
the  women  whom  fortune  has  placed  in  positions  of 
advantage  is,  of  their  own  accord,  to  cross  the  chasm 
that  separates  them  from  their  sisters  in  what  is  falsely 
called  the  lower  order  of  life.  They  will  find,  beyond  a 
doubt,  that  while  they  themselves  may  have  the  capacity 
of  giving  much,  these  immigrants  that  are  in  such  dire 
need,  may  compensate  them  most  amply  by  showing 
them  a  phase  of  life,  which,  under  an  unattractive  exte- 
rior, may  cover  in  many  cases,  a  crystal  spring  of  possi- 
bilities, the  best  and  the  noblest. 

Mrs.  Henry  D.  Lloyd  spoke  on  the  same  subject, 
treating  more  particularly  of  the  phase  presented  by- 
domestic  service.  In  the  general  discussion  that  ensued, 
Miss  American,  of  Chicago,  and  Mrs.  Helen  Kahn  Weil, 
of  Kansas  City,  took  part. 


THE  INFLUENCE  OF  THE  JEWISH  RELIGION 
IN  THE  HOME. 


MARY  M.  COHEN,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


This  subject  has  been  selected,  first,  because  of  its 
vital  importance,  and  second,  because  it  is  one  that  seems 
incapable  of  being  controverted.  I  feel  well  assured 
that  no  student  of  sacred  and  profane  history  will  doubt 
the  premises  which  I  shall  endeavor  to  present. 

I  believe  sincerely  that  the  influence  of  the  Jewish 
religion  upon  the  home  is  a  truth  so  deeply  established 
that  all  liberal  thinkers  have  but  one  opinion  about  it. 
But  there  are,  in  this  world,  many  thinkers  not  yet  able 
to  think  liberally,  that  is,  they  have  been  trained  in  a 
certain  groove  of  thought,  and  there  their  minds  remain, 
according  to  their  education,  their  environments,  their 
beliefs.  It  sometimes  happens,  even  among  Christians 
of  the  kindliest  nature  and  the  wannest  sympathies, 
that  they  have  never  come  in  direct  contact  with 
families  of  so  different  a  creed  as  that  upheld  by  the 
Hebrews.  It  has  been  the  experience  of  the  writer, 
over  and  over  again,  that  members  of  the  popular  relig- 
ion have  observed,  "  We  have  never  known  any  Hebrews. 
What  are  their  views?  What  are  their  observances? 
How  does  their  religion  affect  the  home  life  ?  Tell  us 
all  that  you  can." 

It  is  largely  with  reference  to  this  absence  of  knowl- 
edge of  the  way  in  which  the  Jewish  religion  enters 
into  the  home  life  that  I  am  urged  to  deal  with  the 
theme  before  this  religious  congress  of  the  Columbian 
Exposition. 

(us) 


u6  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

There  is  very  little  doubt  that  the  idea  with  which 
the  Jewish  religion  was  planned  was  to  so  engraft  it 
upon  the  home  life  that  the  two  should  be  inseparably 
joined.  The  observances  of  the  faith  are  so  entwined 
with  the  every-day  atmosphere  of  the  home  as  to  make 
the  Jewish  religion  and  the  family  life  one,  a  bond  in 
sanctity.  In  this  sense  the  synagogue  is  the  home,  and 
the  home  the  synagogue.  I  mean  that  the  intelligent 
and  devout  Hebrew  parent  is  the  priest  or  priestess  of 
the  family  altar.  There  is  no  need,  if  there  is  a  desire 
to  worship  the  God  of  Israel,  to  visit  the  sanctuary ;  it 
is  always  right  and  appropriate  to  enter  the  House  of 
God,  but  it  is  never  indispensable  for  the  performance 
of  religious  service.  The  prayers  for  the  Sabbath  eve, 
the  prayers  for  the  Sabbath  day,  for  the  fasts  and 
festivals,  can  be  as  feelingly  and  efficiently  rendered  in 
the  home  as  in  the  synagogue.  The  service  on  the  first 
night  of  the  Passover  can  undoubtedly  be  far  better 
observed  in  the  home  than  even  in  the  sanctuary  itself. 
It  is  true  that  certain  ceremonies  were  given  with  the 
condition  that  they  were  only  to  be  performed  in  the  place 
where  the  Temple  stood,  but  these  were  comparatively 
very  few.  Among  them  was  the  very  positive  command, 
"  Thou  mayest  not  slay  the  Passover  within  any  of  thy 
gates  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee,  but  at  the 
place  which  the  Lord  thy  God  will  choose  to  let  His  name 
dwell  in,  there  shalt  thou  slay  the  Passover  at  evening." 

Many  visitors  to  synagogues  at  the  time  of  the  Pass- 
over Festival  are  surprised  not  to  see  there  the  sacrifice 
of  the  paschal  lamb,  but  this  rite  was  to  be  performed 
only  in  the  Temple,  so  that  since  the  dispersion  a  lamb- 
bone  has  been  substituted  as  a  reminder  of  the  ancient 
ceremony. 

The  greatest  benefit  derived  from  this  close  connection 
between  the  religion  and  life  is  the  fact  that  the  religion 


JEWISH  RELIGION  IN  THE  HOME — COHEN.        117 

thus  became  an  intensely  practical  one,  and  yet  lost 
nothing  of  its  inspired  ideality.  It  was  not  possible  for 
the  Jew  to  forget  his  allegiance  to  Judaism.  In  the 
morning  when  he  arose,  the  binding  of  the  phylacteries 
turned  his  thoughts  heavenward;  before  partaking  of 
food,  the  immersion  of  the  hands  in  cold  water  truly 
reminded  him  that  "cleanliness  is  next  to  godliness." 
At  the  close  of  the  meal,  the  Hebrew  grace  expressed  his 
gratitude  to  the  eternal  Father  for  His  bounties.  In  the 
daily  events,  in  the  transaction  of  business,  either  within 
or  without  the  home,  the  influence  of  the  religion  was 
very  seldom  absent. 

It  was  especially  noticeable  in  the  times  when  the 
Jews  were  restricted  to  life  in  the  Ghettos,  that  it  was 
very  difficult  to  see  just  where  the  religion  ended  and 
the  home  life  began.  Many  of  the  people,  deprived  of 
opportunities  of  worship  outside  of  the  Ghetto,  concen- 
trated all  the  fervor  of  their  nature  upon  the  home 
observances ;  sometimes  this  was  carried  to  an  injurious 
extreme,  resulting  in  an  exaggerated  superstition,  which 
drew  down  the  contempt  of  many  a  more  enlightened 
and  more  favored  outsider.  In  this  regard  it  is  impos- 
sible to  refrain  from  alluding  to  one  of  the  most  striking 
Jewish  books  which  has  been  issued  this  year.  Mr. 
ZangwilPs  story,  "The  Children  of  the  Ghetto,"  is  a 
work  which,  when  taken  up  by  Christians,  often  im- 
presses them  most  unfavorably  as  a  picture  of  the  Jews  ; 
but  when  carefully  studied  by  critical,  and  yet  sympa- 
thizing, Hebrews,  it  is  not  in  the  least  misunderstood. 
We  have  in  that,  to  be  sure,  a  very  depressing  presenta- 
tion of  Hebrews  in  the  east  end  of  London,  with  their 
tawdry  clothing,  their  wretched  dwellings,  their  pinched 
means,  their  indescribable  privations.  Yet  with  it  all, 
deep  down  in  the  soul  of  the  Hebrew  in  the  Ghetto, 
man,  woman,  or  child,  is  the  wondrous  loyalty  to  the 


n8  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

God  of  the  people.  We  see  this  in  Esther  Ansell,  who, 
although  transplanted  when  a  girl  from  the  Ghetto  into 
the  luxurious  home  of  her  patroness,  Mrs.  Goldsmith, 
finds,  without  exactly  understanding  why,  no  satisfaction 
in  the  wealth  surrounding  her.  It  is  seen,  too,  in  the 
half  quaint,  half  pathetic  scene,  when  Moses  Ansell  is 
summoned  to  his  son's  deathbed,  and  although  the  jargon 
which  the  father  speaks  has  to  be  translated  to  the  son, 
there  is  a  clear  understanding  between  the  two  that  it  is 
the  glorious  declaration  of  the  Unity,  the  "  Hear,  O 
Israel,  the  Lord  our  God,  the  Lord  is  One,"  the  Hebrew's 
dying  confession,  which  is  to  be  uttered  at  that  awful 
moment. 

On  the  other  hand,  turning  to  the  Jewish  home  life 
of  this  country,  we  find  that  the  religion  has  a  powerful 
effect  upon  the  pursuits  cherished  in  the  home.  This 
will  be  seen  particularly  in  the  cultivation  of  the  art  of 
poetry.  I  will  venture  to  quote  a  verse  from  a  poem 
entitled  "  Rosh-Hashana"  the  Jewish  New  Year. 

"  One  word — ere  once  again  we  turn  a  page 

In  this  great  volume  of  the  countless  j^ears 
To  mark  another  epoch  of  our  age, — 

One  word,  and  we  resume  life's  hopes  and  fears." 

This  production  evinces  something  of  the  power  of 
the  religion  in  the  home  life;  the  gifted  writer  has  no 
doubt  traced  these  words  at  the  close  of  one  of  the  most 
solemn  Hebrew  festivals.  Not  in  the  synagogue,  not  in 
the  office,  not  in  the  school,  not  in  the  place  of  amuse- 
ment, do  these  high,  poetic  inspirations  arise,  as  a  rule, 
but  in  the  home.  The  creator  of  these  poetic  lines  just 
quoted,  is  a  young  Philadelphia  Hebrew,  whose  work 
will  be  seen  to  have  ethical  significance  as  well  as  rhe- 
torical grace;  after  the  day  which  stimulates  all  the 
religious  fervor  that  a  Jew  possesses,  he  sits  in  his  library, 
and  traces  on  paper  what  we  may  hold  in  our  hearts 


JEWISH  REUGION  IN  THE  HOME— COHEN.        119 

forever.  We  all  know  how  closely  associated  were  the 
sudden  religious  awakening  and  the  literary  home  life 
of  Emma  Lazarus:  her  splendid  poems,  such  as  "  The 
Crowing  of  the  Red  Cock,"  "  The  Banner  of  the  Jew," 
and  "  The  Feast  of  Lights,"  might  have  sprung  from  a 
soldier  in  battle,  or  a  fiery,  wandering  exile;  yet  they  were 
written  in  the  quiet  study  of  a  New  York  Jewess;  these 
examples  are  but  two  out  of  a  large  number  that  will, 
I  think,  testify  to  the  truth  of  my  assertion. 

The  influence  of  the  religion  in  regard  to  dietary 
laws  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most  marked  in  close  connec- 
tion with  the  home  routine.  In  addition  to  the  various 
observances  commanded  in  the  Bible,  tradition  and  the 
Rabbis  have  made  it  customary  for  Hebrews  to  partake 
of  special  kinds  of  food  on  certain  festivals;  we  see  this 
in  the  use  of  white  stewed  fish  for  the  Passover,  in  the 
additional  decoration  of  the  table  during  Pentecost,  in 
the  serving  of  apples  and  new  honey  on  the  New  Year. 
The  praises  of  fried  fish  as  prepared  by  Hebrews  have 
been  eloquently  set  forth,  but  where  is  the  writer  who 
has  done  justice  to  the  glories  of  the  white  stewed  fish  as 
it  appears  on  the  Passover  table  ?  Golden  balls,  of  deli- 
cate flavor,  surmounting  slices  of  the  whitest  halibut; 
cayenne  peppers,  with  circles  of  lemon,  adding  brilliant 
color  and  spicy  taste  to  the  compound;  over  all  the 
yellow  sauce,  almost  jelly-like  in  consistence.  Those 
who  have  spoken  of  Judaism  as  a  "  kitchen  religion  " 
lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  spirit  and  body  are  equally  in 
need  of  nourishment,  and  that  to  closely  associate  the 
material  and  the  religious  is  to  dignify  the  one  without 
injuring  the  other. 

There  are  many  other  special  dishes  transmitted  to  us 
by  tradition  for  minor  festivals.  These  little  customs 
serve  to  bind  the  religious  and  the  domestic  life  very 
closely  together,  and  who  can  doubt  it  that  sees  the 


120  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

blessing  given  by  parents  to  children  on  the  Sabbath 
eve,  or  witnesses  the  solemnity  of  the  Kiddush,  the  wine 
which  celebrates  the  approach  of  the  bride,  the  Jewish 
Sabbath.  I  can  never  see,  in  the  sometimes  punctilious 
care  with  which  some  Hebrew  women  prepare  their 
homes  for  the  religious  festivals,  the  ground  for  annoy- 
ance or  ridicule  which  it  seems  to  furnish  to  many 
critics;  to  me  it  presents  a  beautiful  union  between  the 
religion  and  the  home.  The  Jewish  faith  is  not  to  be 
worn  as  a  cloak  on  the  Sabbath  or  the  festival  in  the 
synagogue,  and  then  to  be  cast  aside  before  entering  the 
portals  of  every-day  existence;  it  may  be  carried  as  a 
veil,  but  through  it  should  be  seen,  still  showing 
brightly,  the  purity  of  the  domestic  altar. 

The  Jewish  wife  and  mother,  as  a  rule,  is  faithful  to 
her  husband  and  children.  Her  religion  teaches  her  to 
fulfil  every  duty  to  these  near  and  dear  ones,  and  in 
addition,  to  exercise  as  generous  a  hospitality  as  her 
means  will  permit.  From  the  time  when  Sarah  enter- 
tained the  angels  until  to-day,  the  chain  of  kindly  feel- 
ing toward  the  traveler  or  the  visitor  has  never  been 
broken;  in  fact,  the  well-to-do  Hebrew  woman  holds  it 
a  privilege  to  share  the  fruits  of  the  earth  with  any  one 
less  favored,  and  knows  that  in  so  doing  she  is  only 
obeying  a  divine  behest:  "  And  thou  shalt  rejoice  with 
every  good  thing  which  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  given 
unto  thee,  and  unto  thy  house,  thou,  with  the  Levite, 
and  the  stranger  that  is  in  the  midst  of  thee." 

The  influence  of  the  Jewish  religion  upon  the  home 
is  of  great  importance  in  determining  exactly  the  niche 
which  the  inmates  are  to  occupy  in  the  history  of  moral 
forces  affecting  other  peoples.  For  instance,  inasmuch  as 
a  Hebrew  woman  is  a  Hebrew  woman,  just  so  powerful 
are  her  character  and  her  example.  There  are  plenty 
of  merely  cosmopolitan  women,  open  to  the  guidance  of 


JEWISH  RELIGION  IN  THE  HOME — COHEN.        121 

every  creed  or  no  creed,  as  shifting  fancy  may  dictate; 
such  women  may  be  lovely  and  excellent  in  many  ways, 
but  they  will  scarcely  command  the  admiring  respect, 
the  deep  sympathy,  the  earnest  fellowship,  which  a 
loyal  Hebrew  woman  receives  in  overflowing  measure 
from  the  world  at  large.  Her  chief  value  to  the  people 
of  other  beliefs  is  that  she  is  a  worthy  daughter  of 
Israel,  in  the  home  first,  and  then  everywhere.  Husband 
and  children  in  the  Jewish  home  show  to  the  wife  and 
mother  a  profound  affection,  and  hold  her  in  the  greatest 
honor.  Jewish  men  are  almost  invariably  domestic, 
valuing  their  homes  as  the  union  of  material  and  spir- 
itual good. 

The  influence  of  the  Jewish  religion  in  the  home  may 
well  be  treasured  as  the  keystone  to  the  lasting  hap- 
piness and  usefulness  of  all  the  nations  of  the  earth. 


THE  INFLUENCE  OF  THE  JEWISH  RELIGION 

IN  THE  HOME. 
(Discussion  of  the  foregoing  paper.") 

JULIA  I.  FELSENTHAL,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 

The  code  of  ethics  held  to  be  correct  and  practicable 
by  right  thinking  men  is  the  same,  unaltered,  that  was 
taught  in  the  Book  of  books  thousands  of  years  ago. 
The  commandments  of  the  decalogue  and  the  other 
moral  laws,  congruous  with  the  same,  are  of  as  vital 
importance  now  as  when  first  proclaimed  to  the  emanci- 
pated Israelites.  To  the  obedience  to  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments is  due,  primarily,  the  survival  of  the  Jews. 
Since  two  thousand  years  they  have  been  a  national  non- 
entity, playing  the  part  of  scapegoat  in  the  drama  of 
the  nations,  and  scattered  throughout  all  lands.  The 
wonder  and  the  question  arise,  to  what  is  due  the  Jews' 
perpetuation  ?  The  strongest  bond  to  unite  them  one  to 
another  was  religion.  How  potent  a  factor  this  is,  in 
the  life  not  only  of  individuals,  but  of  races,  is  observed, 
when  we  remember  that  Greece  and  Rome,  with  their 
splendid  civilizations  and  their  vast  achievements  in  art 
and  legislation,  have  vanished.  They,  too,  had  a  beau- 
tiful belief  in  higher  powers,  full  of  poetry  and  ideality, 
but  differing  in  the  fundamental  idea  of  monotheism 
and  stern  morality.  Judaea,  inferior  in  the  arts  both  of 
war  and  of  peace,  exists,  a  witness  to  the  truth  of  the 
idea,  that  there  is  but  one  God,  the  Father  of  all,  who 
holds  the  fates  of  His  children  in  His  hands,  and  who 
docs  all  for  the  best.  He  loves  what  is  good  and  hates 

(122) 


JEWISH  RELIGION  IN  THE  HOME — FEI.SENTHAI,.     123 

the  bad.  This  is  and  was  the  keynote  of  the  Jew's 
religion.  But,  as  in  other  religions,  the  cardinal  idea 
alone  did  not  form  the  substance  of  Judaism.  Around 
this  central  idea  clustered,  during  the  lapse  of  centuries, 
a  mass  of  additional  doctrines,  laws,  traditions  and  cus- 
toms, which  formed  the  network  of  the  religious  prac- 
tices of  the  Jews.  This  accumulated  mass  of  ceremonials 
was  like  embroidery  so  intricately  worked  that  one  could 
scarcely  discover  the  original  texture  beneath.  The^ 
various  observances,  finding  equal  importance  in  the 
eyes  of  the  devotees,  were  not  restricted  to  holidays  and 
Sabbaths  and  to  fulfilment  in  the  synagogue  alone,  but 
almost  every  daily  action  of  man  or  woman,  in  the 
household  and  out  of  it,  was  accompanied  by  the  per- 
formance of  some  religious  rite,  which  none  was  too 
ignorant  or  too  enlightened  to  omit. 

Therefore,  when  one  considers  the  influence  of  the 
Jewish  religion  on  the  home,  it  must  not  be  forgotten 
that  every  department  of  life  was  permeated  with  re- 
ligion, and  the  home  principally,  was  the  centre  for  the 
fostering  of  these  religious  and  moral  truths.  A  people 
which  believes  that  religion  is  not  for  any  distinct  time 
or  place,  but  that  it  must  enter  all  phases  of  life,  is 
virile. 

Many  of  the  most  powerful  moral  forces  were  con- 
tinually brought  into  action  through  this  constant  asso- 
ciation of  religion  with  life,  through  the  agency  of 
prayer  and  countless  religious  practices.  The  deeds  and 
duties  which  are  essential  in  high-minded,  moral  living 
were  religiously  practiced  in  Jewish  homes,  because 
prompted  by  religion.  By  indicating  a  few  of  the  daily 
observances,  this  may  be  made  apparent.  No  one,  from 
the  babbling  child  to  the  feeble  grandfather,  rose  in  the 
morning  without  uttering  prayers  of  thanks  to  God,  and 
invoking  His  divine  grace  for  the  coming  day.  At  night, 


124  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

before  retiring,  the  last  conscious  act  was  the  saying  of 
a  prayer.  Before  every  meal  grace  was  said,  and  after- 
ward a  prayer  of  thanks  was  again  recited.  It  was  a 
religious  duty  to  visit  the  mourner  and  the  afflicted,  and 
the  poor  received  the  graceful  charity  prompted  by  the 
beautiful  Jewish  laws.  Scarcely  a  Jew  was  so  poor  as 
not  to  entertain  some  one  of  his  poorer  traveling  co- 
religionists on  the  Friday  evening,  not  as  a  troublesome 
beggar,  but  as  an  honored  and  welcome  guest  at  the 
table.  So,  by  the  aid  of  these  few  illustrations,  can  be 
traced  gratefulness,  sympathy,  charity  and  hospitality. 
Such  paramount  duties  as  the  obedience  of  children  to 
parents,  strong  mutual  attachment  between  the  members 
of  a  family,  etc.,  were  faithfully  fulfilled.  Be  it  remem- 
bered that  these  customs  just  alluded  to  were  not  merely 
social  usages,  but  religious  duties,  which  entered  the 
very  sinews  of  life,  and  if  many  of  them  were  mechani- 
cally performed,  their  significance  nevertheless  impressed 
itself  on  the  minds  of  the  participants.  Thus  the  home 
became  a  bulwark  of  moral  and  social  strength,  impreg- 
nable by  reason  of  the  religious  atmosphere  that  per- 
vaded it. 

In  this  connection,  it  may  be  remarked,  as  a  notice- 
able fact,  that  wine,  which  played  an  important  part  in 
all  holiday  and  Sabbath  celebrations,  never  became  a 
baneful  influence  in  their  lives.  It  was  looked  upon, 
like  any  other  food  product  of  the  earth,  as  a  gift  from 
God,  and  the  blessing  or  thanksgiving  was  always  pro- 
nounced before  partaking  of  it.  Intemperance  and  dis- 
soluteness, those  two  cardinal  vices  which  have  wrecked 
so  many  homes,  are  sins  which  have  not,  as  a  rule, 
allured  the  Jew.  The  praise  is  scarcely  due  to  the  man, 
but  to  the  Jewish  laws,  so  wisely  framed,  and  to  the 
customs,  so  beneficially  impressive.  Simple  fidelity  to 
these  laws  and  customs  was  enough  to  guard  him  from 


JEWISH  REUGION  IN  THE  HOME — FELSENTHAL.     125 

temptations,  and  keep  the  peace  and  purity  of  his  home 
intact. 

During  the  centuries  of  persecution  and  migration, 
the  home  and  the  synagogue  were  the  only  places  where 
the  Jew  could  find  relief  from  trouble  and  care.  The 
broader  arena  of  life,  where  men  might  enlist,  and  find 
intellectual  exercise  and  pleasure,  was  closed  to  him. 
Inasmuch  as  unfriendly  and  tyrannical  governments 
refused  their  Jewish  subjects  any  participation  in  the 
pursuits  dear  to  patriotic  and  high-minded  men,  there 
remained  for  them  only  the  narrow  channel  of  bread- 
winning.  They  were  only  too  thankful  if  their  endeav- 
ors to  earn  a  livelihood  were  unmolested.  What  would 
have  soon  dwindled  into  the  most  narrow  materialism 
was  redeemed  by  the  purity  of  their  home  life,  per- 
meated with  poetical  and  homely  illustrations  of  their 
faith.  The  synagogue  and  the  home  were  sanctuariesr 
on  whose  altars  the  burdens  of  life  might  be  cast,  and 
love  and  peace  be  found.  In  this  respect,  persecution 
proved  a  blessing  to  the  dispersed.  With  the  sword  of 
an  innocently  incurred  hate  ever  hanging  over  them, 
home-ties  were  firmly  knit,  and  the  small  communities 
living  behind  Ghetto  walls  were  bound  together  as  one 
family.  So  does  misfortune  often  carry  a  blessing  in  its 
train.  Fearing  evil  from  without,  they  found  peace 
within  the  Ghetto  walls. 

The  Jew,  distinctly  Oriental  in  some  respects,  has 
avoided,  as  if  by  instinct,  some  of  the  Eastern  vices  and 
failings,  notably  the  institution  of  harem  life  and  the 
notion  of  the  inferiority  of  woman.  Though  woman's 
sphere  was  limited,  within  it  she  received  the  loyal  love 
due  her,  as  wife  and  mother  and  queen  of  the  household. 
The  father,  on  the  other  hand,  was  vested  with  a  sort  of 
patriarchal  dignity.  He  was  the  protector  and  guardian 
of  his  loved  ones,  and  his  authority  was  final.  Filial 


126  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

and  conjugal  duties  were  zealously  performed,  but  par- 
ticularly did  old  age  meet  with  veneration  and  regard. 

Owing  to  necessary  brevity,  many  elements  of  domestic 
Jewish  life,  possessing  beautifying  and  elevating  ten- 
dencies, must  be  omitted,  but  I  cannot  refrain  from 
mentioning  the  Passover,  Sukkoth,  Chanukkah  and 
Purim,  which  gave  great  opportunity  for  the  play  of 
joyful,  religious  emotions  in  the  home,  whose  influence 
was  felt  long  after  the  occasions  themselves  were  over. 
But  most  valuable  was  the  Friday  evening  celebration. 
How  impressive,  when  the  father,  returning  from  divine 
service,  folds  his  hands  upon  the  bowed  heads  of  his 
children,  giving  them  his  blessing,  thus  imbuing  the 
child  with  filial  love  and  veneration,  and  himself  with 
the  moral  responsibility  toward  his  offspring.  To  see 
the  members  of  the  household  assembled  around  the 
brightly  lit  and  festive  table,  welcoming  the  bride  of 
the  Sabbath  with  hymns  and  praise,  presents  a  picture 
of  true  religious  fervor  and  piety.  A  number  of  writers, 
mostly  German,  have  caught  this  undercurrent  of  beauty 
in  the  lives  of  a  hampered  people,  who  quietly  passed 
their  days  in  the  shadow  of  Ghetto  walls,  and  have  por- 
trayed them  in  works  of  fiction.  Kompert,  Bernstein, 
Franzos  and  Sacher  Masoch,  have  been  among  the  most 
successful  of  these  writers.  Prof.  Oppenheim,  an  able 
artist,  has  preserved  these  features  of  the  past  for  the 
profit  and  pleasure  of  later  generations,  by  painting  a 
series  of  pictures,  representing  typical  scenes,  such  as 
the  interior  of  the  synagogue  on  various  occasions,  holi- 
day celebrations,  observance  of  the  Sabbath  eve,  etc. 

Since  Mendelssohn's  time,  many  of  the  barriers  which 
separated  Jew  and  Gentile  have  been  gradually  removed. 
Simultaneously  with  the  granting  of  civil  and  religious 
rights,  the  Jews  were  given  intellectual  freedom,  and 
minds  trained  for  centuries  almost  exclusively  in  the 


JEWISH  RELIGION  IN  THE  HOME — FEI.SENTHAI,.    127 

study  of  the  Bible,  the  Talmud,  and  their  numerous 
commentaries,  eagerly  sought  the  avenues  open  to  them. 
Politics,  journalism,  law,  letters,  medicine,  etc.,  had 
many  a  Jewish  follower.  The  horizon  widened,  and 
religion  no  longer  played  so  important  a  part  in  their 
lives.  How  did  this  react  on  their  home  life  ?  The 
dietary  laws,  formerly  a  prominent  feature  in  the  daily 
routine,  fell  among  many  into  disuse,  until  now  they  are 
"  honored  more  in  the  breach  than  in  the  observance." 
Many  of  the  customs,  which  had  accompanied  the  wan- 
derers from  land  to  land,  were  forgotten  or  ignored.  In 
Russia,  Eastern  Austria  and  adjacent  provinces,  the  old 
customs  still  prevail  to  a  great  extent,  but  in  Western 
Europe  and  in  our  own  country,  circumstances  have 
almost  compelled  a  change,  and  we  have  had  to  adjust 
ourselves  to  a  new  order  of  things ;  a  simple  task  for  the 
Jew,  who,  although  preserving  some  distinctive  traits 
throughout  all  the  ages,  has  nevertheless  always  affiliated 
himself  with  the  country  of  his  adoption. 

Many  of  the  moderns  have  cut  loose  from  ceremonial- 
ism. Whoever  has  considered  the  rise  of  races  or  relig- 
ions knows  the  importance  of  ceremonies  and  symbols 
as  social  factors.  As  civilization  advances,  these  forms 
lose  their  power  and  significance,  so  that  if  they  are  still 
to  have  a  value,  it  is  as  historical  reminders  and  relics. 

This  value  is  denied  by  many,  but  even  were  its  im- 
portance to  be  granted,  the  complications  of  our  busy  life 
are  such  that  many  rites,  beautiful  and  significant,  are 
difficult  of  performance.  Doctrinal  belief,  many  main- 
tain, would  suffice  for  any  religion,  but  granted  that  this 
were  so,  we  would  still  have  to  admit  that  mere  adher- 
ence to  a  number  of  articles  of  belief  would  be  only  the 
skeleton,  which  must  be  clothed  with  the  flesh  of  imagery 
and  form  to  make  it  a  living  reality.  This  was  a  neces- 
sity in  the  childhood  of  the  race,  and  in  a  great  measure 


128  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

it  will  always  be  necessary.  Now,  when  many  assume 
that  we  are  arriving  at  the  vigor  of  maturity,  it  is 
deemed  useless  to  surround  ourselves  with  any  forms. 
It  remains  to  be  seen  whether  religion,  shorn  of  all 
symbolic  rites,  can  still  exert  as  potent  an  influence  on 
the  home  as  of  yore.  Formerly  the  Jewish  religion  was 
treasured  and  preserved  in  synagogue  and  the  home  alike. 
Now  our  temples  are  mostly  lecture-halls,  and  in  our 
homes  many  rites  are  omitted. 

Under  any  and  all  conditions,  it  is  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance that  the  home  life,  as  the  basis  for  true  national 
prosperity,  should  be  elevated  and  elevating.  This, 
united  with  the  fact  that  there  are  many  tendencies  in 
modern  life  apt  to  lower  the  standard  of  social  purity, 
should  make  us  consider  well  before  discarding  entirely 
an  element  that  has  been  so  vast  a  power  for  good  during 
so  many  centuries. 


WEDNESDAY,  SEPTEMBER  6,  1893,  9.30  A.  M. 
Mrs.  Pauline  H.  Rosenberg,  of  Allegheny,  Pa.,  was 
introduced  by  the  Chairman   as  the  honorary  presiding 
officer  of  the  session. 


ISRAEL  TO  THE  WORLD  IN  GREETING. 


CORA  WILBURN,  MARSHFIELD,  MASS. 


Unto  the  world,  with  Time's  Peace-offering, 
What  treasure  gifts  does  Ancient  Israel  bring  ? 

Heart-stirring  melodies,  the  aspiration 
Of  martyred  souls,  that  death  of  torture  braved; 
The  breath  Divine  of  answering  inspiration, 
While  fierce  the  fires  of  Persecution  raged. 

The  boundless  Trust,  uplifting  captive  sorrow. 
From  Israel's  stricken  heart,  enkindled  hope; 
That  evermore  the  dark,  uncertain  morrow, 
Flushed  with  the  glory  of  the  Future's  scope. 

Faith  in  the  Name  Ineffable — Unspoken! 
Leading  throughout  the  centuries'  darkened  maze; 
Glad  benedictions  wrung  from  hearts  long  broken, 
Of  heroes,  slain  on  unmarked  battle-ways! 

Grandeur  of  Womanhood's  exalted  duty; 
Self-abnegation  that  Life's  all  bestowed; 
Sunshine  and  storm  of  Love's  illumined  beauty, — 
Crowned  Purity,  with  light  of  heaven  that  glowed! 

High,  reverent  awe,  the  soul's  reflecting  mirror, 
That  guards  within  illimitable  Truth; 
Kept  'mid  the  stress  of  Superstition's  terror, 
In  the  religious  soul  of  Age  and  Youth! 

The  Patriot's  iron  will,  all  hardships  daring, 
For  native  land,  and  Freedom's  light  within; 
With  Lion  shield  of  David  onward  bearing 
The  soul's  abhorrence  of  the  Traitor's  sin! 
9  (129) 


130  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Vibrating  unto  heart  and  brain  responsive, 
The  ancient  record,  and  the  by-gone  song, 
Attest  in  triumph-strain  and  hymning  plaintive, 
The  sweet  forgiveness  of  a  Nation's  wrong! 

More  than  by  reach  of  word  of  earthly  meaning, 
Unto  the  world  does  Ancient  Israel  bring; 
Time's  righteous  victory  of  ascendance  gleaning, 
While  low  accordant  chimes  of  Freedom  ring! 

Unto  this  gathering  of  the  World  assembled, 
What  treasure-gems  does  Modern  Israel  bring? 
In  the  far  silence  freighted  souls  have  trembled, 
Nor  heavenly  message  dared  the  minstrel  sing. 

Now,  broadening  Light  sheds  radiance  of  the  Morning, 
Great  souls  hold  vigils  'neath  the  glow  divine; 
Despite  of  threatening  Russia's  bitter  scorning, 
What  gift  brings  Israel  to  Our  Country's  Shrine  f 

The  olden  reverence,  graced  with  dear  remembrance, 
Its  holiest  fervor,  heritage  of  days; 
That  with  the  New  Life's  vast,  diviner  semblance, 
To  God's  high  purpose  heart  and  spirit  sways! 

The  joy  of  Manhood's  soul-emancipation; 
Glory  of  Woman's  heart-ascendancy; 
Blent  with  the  home-life's  threefold  consecration 
To  noblest  aims  of  human  destiny. 

Rose-flowers  of  Feeling;  sun-rayed  Gems  of  Thought, 
Into  one  hallowed  wreath  of  Memory  wrought. 

Love  for  the  Stars  and  Stripes !  all  power  transcending 
Imagination  weaves  of  soaring  dreams; 
Truth's  vowed  allegiance  with  all  heart-hopes  blending, 
As  affluent  Life  with  high  endeavor  teems. 

In  daily  service  of  humanity, 

Shared  sweet  and  irksome  tasks  of  Liberty! 

The  Mind's  advance,  in  Israel's  modern  story, 
Keeps  evermore  abreast  of  Truth  and  Time; 
As  Godward  tending,  Science  wields  the  glory, 
That  guiding  leads  to  long- veiled  heights  sublime. 

On  loftiest  summit,  as  from  lowliest  place, 
The  garnered  favors  of  Celestial  grace, 
Shed  benedictions  o'er  the  human  race. 


To  THE  WORLD  IN  GREETING— WILE  URN.         131 

Only,  as  children  love  the  Mother  best, 

We  cling  unto  the  dear,  ancestral  breast. 

Not  loving  less  the  differing  souls  we  meet, 

In  mart,  or  home,  or  on  the  busy  street, 

But  as  our  kindred  all.     'Mid  din  of  strife, 

We  know  the  mandate,  with  old  wisdom  rife: 

"  The  righteous  of  all  nations  shall  Eternal  Life 

Inherit."     Long-kept,  cherished  Truth! 

Newly  engraved  on  heart  of  Age  and  Youth, 

Attests  Our  Father's  universal  care, 

While  Faith  uplifts  the  adoring  search  of  prayer! 

And  tears  we  bring  !  for  helpless  thousands  call 
On  human  help,  as  deepening  shadows  fall; 
Portents  of  storm,  and  strife  of  bigotry, — 
E'en  o'er  Columbia's  stronghold  of  the  Free! 
Grief-thrilled,  true  souls  To-day,  as  ere  the  light 
Pierced  the  deep  gloom  of  Egypt's  rayless  night, 
Wait  prayerful  for  the  blest  Deliverance  gleam, 
Beyond  the  Prophet's  hope  and  Poet's  dream! 

Peace  !  with  thy  gracious  splendors  manifold 

The  sway  of  Truth  let  captive  eyes  behold! 

The  boundless  trust  of  ancient  days  renew! 

E'en  though  he  reached  thy  sacred  havens  through 

Red  seas  of  carnage  !    For  the  menaced  life 

Of  Freedom  calls  for  ending  of  the  strife, 

That  holds  the  world  in  bondage  to  its  fears; 

With  grief  of  longing  fills  the  waiting  years; 

Marring  the  grace  of  Justice  in  the  land, 

At  lawless  bidding  of  the  blood-stained  hand 

Of  Tyranny.     Though  not  "  for  me  and  mine," 

The  fell  intent  of  secret  hordes  combine; 

Though  safe  beneath  the  Starry  Flag  we  dwell, 

Dare  we  assert  that  with  us  all  is  well  ? 

While  homeless  brothers  may  not  seek  their  bread, 

On  native  soil;  but  cringe  'mid  phantoms  dread 

Of  Famine,  Murder,  Pillage,  women  slain! 

Are  we  so  deadened  to  another's  pain, 

In  arms  of  luxury  lulled,  that  willingly, 

We  shackle  here  the  soul  of  Liberty? 

America  !  thy  grateful  Israel  gave 

Her  life-blood,  equal  with  thy  "  free  and  brave;  " 

For  the  safe-keeping  of  thy  holy  stars, 

Thy  Hebrew  soldiers  wear  the  battle-scars. 


132  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

They  share  the  country's  glory;  and  its  shame, 
When  Force  and  Fraud  their  dastard  deeds  proclaim; 
Shall  Russia's  shadow  dim  our  record's  fame  ? 

Forbid  it,  God  !  enthroned  in  earth  and  heaven! 

Forbid  it,  hearts  of  His  Compassion  filled! 

By  all  the  Light  of  Inspiration  given 

To  souls  that  would  Thy  Freedom  Temples  build! 

Let  not  the  Cossack  hand's  brutality 

The  bulwarks  of  the  People's  Sovereignty 

Assail,  while  dawns  the  Twentieth  Century! 

Greeting  to  Israel  still  in  captive  chains! 

Greeting  to  all  in  Freedom's  wide  domains! 

Not  Toleration,  but  Fraternal  Love, 

Be  the  New  Era's  olive-bearing  dove! 

Only  a  foeman  he  who  bars  the  way 

To  holy  Freedom's  universal  sway. 

Where  the  Great  Name  Ineffable  is  spoken, 

Life's  tributary  prayer  is  heavenly  token, 

And  frankincense  of  praise;  brothers  and  sisters  we, 

Clasp  hands  of  service  for  humanity, 

Heart-linked  for  earth  and  Immortality! 


CHARITY  AS  TAUGHT  BY  THE  MOSAIC  LAW. 


EVA  L.  STERN,  NEW  YORK. 


"  Sing  heav'nly  Muse  that  on  the  secret  top 
Of  Oreb,  or  of  Sinai,  didst  inspire 
That  Shepherd,  who  first  taught  the  chosen  seed 
In  the  beginning,  how  the  heav'ns  and  earth 

Rose  out  of  chaos 

And  chiefly  Thou,  O  spirit,  that  dost  prefer 
Before  all  temples  the  upright  heart  and  pure, 
Instruct  me,  for  Thou  know'st;  Thou  from  the  first 
Wast  present,  and  with  mighty  wings  outspread 
Dove-like  sat'st  brooding  on  the  vast  abyss 
And  madest  it  pregnant:  What  in  me  is  dark, 
Illumine;  what  is  low,  raise  and  support; 
That  to  the  height  of  this  great  argument, 
I  may  assert  eternal  Providence, 
And  justify  the  ways  of  God  to  men." 

This  shepherd  of  Milton's  song  was  Moses,  the  law- 
giver, the  simple  man  of  meekness,  who  alone  of  all 
mortals  breathed  into  by  the  breath  of  God,  stood  face 
to  face  with  Him;  who  alone  of  earth's  men  held  con- 
verse with  Him,  and  was  the  elect  of  righteousness  and 
holiness  to  receive  from  the  divine  spirit  the  decalogue, 
so  simple  in  its  comprehensiveness  that  we  teach  the 
babe  to  lisp  it,  and  yet  so  deep,  grand,  severe,  that  it 
awes  the  savage  in  his  lawlessness.  It  is  the  mighty 
pile  upon  which  the  Christian  world  rises,  and  upon 
which  is  built  the  destiny  of  the  whole  human  race. 
From  these  Thou-shalt-nots  have  risen  the  nations'  glory 
— morality  and  lawfulness,  and  from  that  solitary  Thou- 
shalt  issues  the  crowning  aureole  of  life,  which  sits  like 
a  star  on  the  mother's  brow,  and  wraps  the  father  in  a 
cloth  of  purple. 

(133) 


134  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

The  decalogue  attests  the  sovereignty  of  God,  a  teach- 
ing which  goes  like  an  seolian  sigh  through  the  code  of 
Moses:  "  I  am  the  Lord  your  God  which  brought  you 
forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt."  As  a  prelude  to  his 
grand  system  of  laws,  he  reminds  the  Israelites  of  their 
deliverance  from  the  taskmasters  of  Egypt,  to  render 
them  merciful  to  the  oppressed,  and  to  make  them  pro- 
tectors and  friends  of  the  downtrodden  and  all  those 
who  sue  for  mercy  from  man.  "  And  thou  shalt  remem- 
ber that  thou  wast  a  bondman  in  the  land  of  Egypt." 
This  enslaved  condition  of  the  Jews  for  four  hundred 
years  has  tempered  the  spiritual  teachings  of  the  world 
by  having  developed  a  Moses.  It  has  put  into  touch 
with  each  other  men  of  widest  lives,  of  extremest  educa- 
tion, of  conflicting  faiths,  and  this  link  between  men  is 
Charity  as  taiight  by  the  Mosaic  Law;  "  it  humanizes 
religion,  and  religionizes  humanity;"  it  is  the  ethical 
basis  of  Judaism,  as  Judaism  is  the  bedrock  of  all 
religions;  whatever  may  have  come  after  it,  there  was 
nothing  before.  What  is  the  essence  of  charity  as 
taught  by  the  Mosaic  law  ?  It  is  merciful  conduct  to 
man,  beast,  birds  in  the  air,  fruit-bearing  trees,  to  every- 
thing animate  and  inanimate  under  the  wide  expanse  of 
heaven.  There  is  a  reason  for  every  precept  in  the  Law, 
and  every  reason  teaches  equity,  mercy,  justice,  courage. 
The  Mosaic  code  has,  for  its  direct  object,  the  cultiva- 
tion of  a  spiritual  and  holy  life,  the  inculcation  of 
patience,  modesty,  humanity,  sympathy  for  the  poor  and 
the  sick,  of  help  for  the  weak,  of  release  for  the  slave,  of 
compassion  for  the  hired  man  and  the  debtor,  and  above 
all  of  the  necessity  of  education,  which  is  the  fountain 
whence  well-springs  of  good  impulses  gush.  Though 
the  Law  impresses  the  precept  of  charity  on  the  people — 
in  fact,  rabbinical  writ  says:  "He  who  practices  love 
and  charity  fulfils  the  whole  law  of  Moses," — it  does 


CHARITY  AS  TAUGHT  BY  THE  LAW — STERN.      135 

not  commiserate  the  poor  man  to  the  extent  of  com- 
manding self-abnegation.  It  says:  "  Every  man  shall 
give  as  he  is  able,  according  to  the  blessing  of  the 
Lord  thy  God,  which  He  hath  given  thee,"  and  the  Tal- 
mud comments  on  this:  "  Whoever  wants  to  enrich  the 
poor  must  not  give  more  than  the  fifth  part  away,  other- 
wise the  giver  may  some  day  impoverish  himself,  so 
that  he  will  be  thrown  upon  society." 

This  humane  and  judicious  law  was  carefully  observed 
by  the  Jews  of  the  Middle  Ages,  and  even  to-day,  here 
in  our  midst,  we  have  Jewish  philanthropists  who  give 
a  tenth  of  their  earnings  to  the  poor  and  the  needy,  and 
though  this  unselfish  charity  is  unstintingly  dispensed, 
it  is  given  with  a  wise  heart,  lest  the  poor  should  organ- 
ize themselves  into  bands  of  idle  parasites,  and  paralyze 
society.  When  the  great  philanthropist-banker  Itzig, 
of  Berlin,  gave  wine  to  the  sick  and  the  poor,  he  per- 
sistently asked  the  return  of  the  empty  bottles,  to  show 
these  helpless  creatures  that  everything  was  of  use,  that 
his  wealth  did  not  blind  him,  that  though  they  had  con- 
sumed the  wine,  the  vessel  which  had  held  it  for  them 
could  be  of  further  use  in  serving  others. 

How  beautifully  this  contrasts  with  the  godless  em- 
perors of  Rome  who  lavished  wealth  indiscriminately, 
striving  to  win  fame  by  ill-considered  liberality;  "  they 
fed  the  rabble  with  corn,  wine  and  oil,"  and  thus  encour- 
aged idleness  and  dissipation,  countenancing  the  rich 
who  encroached  upon  the  rights  of  the  poor.  This,  too, 
is  in  opposition  to  the  Mosaic  teachings,  which  insist 
upon  the  rich  man's  calling  in  the  poor  to  his  table,  and 
forbid  hurting  his  feelings  by  even  staring  at  him  while 
he  eats,  lest  it  be  taken  for  the  arrogance  of  riches  or 
the  pride  of  ownership  of  the  food  he  gave.  Says  the 
Law,  "  If  the  man  be  poor,  thou  shalt  not  sleep  with  his 
pledge,  in  any  case,  thou  shalt  deliver  him  the  pledge 


136  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

again,  when  the  sun  goeth  down,  that  he  may  sleep  in 
his  own  raiment."  This  would  keep  the  lender  to  the 
poor  from  asking  his  garments  as  a  pledge;  or  at  least  it 
would  secure  the  garment  as  a  covering  for  his  limbs, 
when  the  poor  man  lay  down  to  sleep.  And  in  addition, 
it  ordains,  "  When  thou  dost  lend  thy  brother  anything, 
thou  shalt  not  go  into  his  house  to  fetch  his  pledge,  thou 
shalt  stand  abroad,  and  the  man  to  whom  thou  dost  lend 
shall  bring  out  the  pledge  unto  thee."  This  would  pre- 
vent the  lender  from  acting  in  an  arrogant  manner,  or 
from  domineering  over  the  less  fortunate  man. 

The  Greeks  of  antiquity  were  likewise  munificent  in 
their  gifts,  but  with  the  ulterior  object  of  displaying 
their  wealth  to  the  populace;  it  was  a  sort  of  advertise- 
ment for  the  rich  man;  but  the  Jews  of  this  time  were 
practicing  the  letter  of  the  Law.  Almost  in  every  town 
there  were  synagogues,  where  not  alone  the  one,  true 
God  was  worshiped,  but  where  instruction  was  given, 
and  charity  practiced  in  all  its  branches. 

The  Jews  have  a  sympathetic,  responsive  nature,  and 
on  account  of  the  hardships  undergone  by  their  race, 
they  are  so  knitted  in  soul  to  one  another,  that  they 
nurse  their  sick,  help  their  poor,  soothe  the  widow  and 
the  orphan,  and  entertain  the  stranger,  from  instinct  as 
much  as  from  education.  Consequently,  all  this  civil- 
izing humaneness  was  found  in  towns  where  Israelites 
dwelt,  and  up  to  the  destruction  of  the  Second  Temple, 
they  lived  in  the  spirit  of  the  Law. 

Then  came  Christianity,  a  modification  of  these  prac- 
tices under  better  organization,  learned  from  the  Romans, 
for  the  latter  have  excelled,  in  history,  as  leaders  and 
organizers.  In  addition  to  Christianity's  having  this  in- 
calculable advantage,  it  had  converts  from  every  quarter, 
who  willed  large  sums  to  its  institutions,  and  conse- 
quently put  it  in  possession  of  a  large  territory.  This 


CHARITY  AS  TAUGHT  BY  THE  LAW — STERN.      137 

left  the  Israelites  in  fewer  numbers,  and  made  them  fall 
back  into  a  solidarity  of  purpose,  which  intensified  their 
brotherhood  and  their  sympathies  for  one  another. 

However,  though  Christianity  grew  abroad,  and  was 
enriched  by  Roinan  converts,  who  enabled  it  to  do  much 
fine  charity,  its  ethics  were  nourished  at  the  bosom  of 
Mosaic  teachings;  virtues  were  adopted  from  the  Mosaic 
code,  and  the  merciful  words,  "  When  thou  cuttest  down 
thy  harvest  in  thy  field,  thou  shalt  not  go  again  to  fetch 
it;  it  shall  be  for  the  stranger,  for  the  fatherless,  and 
for  the  widow;" — this  merciful  precept  had  lain  in  the 
heart  of  Jesus  along  with  the  love  of  the  man,  Moses, 
who  bequeathed  it  to  his  people. 

The  widow  and  the  orphan  claimed  the  especial  love 
of  the  legislator,  and  everywhere  he  speaks  of  them,  and 
enjoins  man  to  be  concerned  about  them,  and  provide 
for  their  wants. 

"  When  thou  beatest  thine  olive  tree,  thou  shalt  not 
go  over  the  bough  again;  it  shall  be  for  the  stranger, 
for  the  fatherless  and  for  the  widow." 

"When  thou  gatherest  the  grapes  of  thy  vineyard, 
thou  shalt  not  glean  it  afterward,  it  shall  be  for  the 
stranger,  the  fatherless  and  the  widow,"  for  out  of  the 
mighty  depths  of  his  heart,  he  foresaw  that  woman, 
clinging  in  her  nature,  would  be  doubly  weak  when  the 
stronger  arm  was  snatched  away,  and  with  her  children 
would  be  among  strangers.  While  the  letter  of  the  Law 
commands  commiseration  for  the  widow  and  the  father- 
less, it  is  in  the  spirit  of  the  Law  that  the  Israelite  best 
serves  the  Master,  a  spirit  that  can  best  be  understood 
by  God,  for  the  Jewish  heart  goes  out  to  these  unfortu- 
nates, expands  for  them,  and  contracts  again  with  them 
enclosed.  The  strong  man  takes  charge  of  the  widow's 
affairs,  advises  her,  comforts  her,  and  in  every  provision 
includes  her  before  himself.  If  the  fatherless  lose  this 


138  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

last,  loving  parent,  the  orphan  is  adopted,  taught  in  the 
Law,  given  a  trade  together  with  the  more  fortunate 
child,  and  when  ready  for  matrimony,  if  a  girl,  a  good 
husband  is  secured  for  her,  nor  is  she  left  portionless; 
if  a  man,  a  good  wife  is  sought  for  him,  and  in  most 
instances  he  is  provided  with  the  means  for  establishing 
a  household.  Jewish  Orphan  Aid  Societies  have  existed 
in  large  and  small  communities  from  the  early  centuries. 
We  have  them  in  almost  every  town  and  city  in  the 
United  States;  and  they  give  sums  of  money  and  outfits 
of  necessary  clothing  to  the  orphan.  In  Europe,  among 
many,  is  the  society  founded  in  Berlin  by  Daniel  Itzig, 
providing  liberal  dowries  for  poor  brides.  This  is  a 
duty  of  the  Jew  to  an  orphan. 

Together  with  the  widow  and  the  orphan  is  men- 
tioned the  stranger.  The  stranger,  supposed  to  have 
left  his  country,  his  kinspeople  and  familiar  scenes,  so 
dear  to  the  heart,  his  body  worn  with  travel  and  emo- 
tion, sometimes  with  hunger  and  thirst,  must  be  allowed 
to  gather  the  fruits  of  the  field,  left  for  him  by  the 
gleaners,  that  he  may  sustain  life,  as  the  story  of  Boaz 
and  Ruth  well  illustrates.  The  stranger  is  invited  to  the 
homes  of  his  brethren  in  faith,  and  is  compensated  there 
for  what  he  has  left  in  his  own  land.  The  stranger  is 
coupled  with  the  brother,  "And  if  thy  brother  has 
waxed  poor,  and  fallen  in  decay  with  thee,  thou  shalt 
relieve  him,  yea,  though  he  be  a  stranger  or  a  sojourner; 
that  he  may  live  with  thee."  This  is  one  of  the  beau- 
tiful qualities  of  the  family  life  of  the  Jews;  their  con- 
cern for  one  another,  their  respect  for  father  and  mother, 
and  their  cheerful  hospitality.  In  Jewish  communities 
there  also  exist  brotherhoods,  which  have  for  their  pur- 
pose benevolence  to  the  stranger,  who  may  chance  among 
them,  and  one  historian  tells  us  that,  in  many  instances, 
a  poor  Jew  has  traveled  through  the  greater  part  of 


CHARITY  AS  TAUGHT  BY  THE  L,AW — STERN.      139 

Europe  without  much  more  than  a  penny  in  his  pocket, 
his  brethren  feeding  and  clothing  him,  and  then  giving 
him  a  letter  of  recommendation  to  his  co-religionists  in 
the  next  town  to  which  he  wanted  to  go. 

Mosaic  charity  inculcates  fellowship,  a  responsiveness 
to  the  joy  or  the  sorrow  of  others,  be  they  kinsmen  or 
strangers.  "  Thou  shalt  not  oppress  a  stranger,  for  ye 
know  the  heart  of  a  stranger,  seeing  ye  were  strangers 
in  the  land  of  Egypt." 

There  is  a  very  fine,  humanizing  law  on  usury,  which 
says,  "  Thou  shalt  not  lend  upon  usury  to  thy  brother, 
usury  of  money,  usury  of  victuals,  usury  of  anything 
that  is  lent  upon  usury,"  and  this  law  was  observed 
until  the  early  Middle  Ages,  when  the  Jews  were  forced 
into  disregarding  it  by  being  deprived  by  the  rulers  of 
countries  of  other  channels  of  livelihood.  The  precept 
taught  the  lesson  to  lend  to  the  poor  without  exacting 
pay  for  what  was  lent,  so  as  not  to  make  the  poor  poorer, 
and  as  Philo  interprets  it,  "  Considering  that  gratitude 
may  in  some  degree  be  looked  upon  as  interest  repaid  at 
a  more  favorable  season  for  what  was  lent  in  an  hour  of 
necessity." 

Mercy,  twin  sister  of  charity,  is  extended  also  to  the 
hired  man,  "  The  wages  of  him  that  is  hired  shall  not 
abide  with  thee  all  night  until  the  morning."  This  is  a 
consideration  the  heart  can  readily  understand,  for  the 
laborer  fortifies  his  strength  with  thoughts  of  his  pay 
and  of  the  comfort  it  will  afford  those  dependent  upon 
him,  and  if,  when  the  sun  sets  upon  him,  his  heart  is 
cheerful,  he  brings  better  strength  to  his  labor  the  fol- 
lowing day,  while  if  he  is  tricked  out  of  his  wages,  in 
addition  to  his  waste  of  energy,  he  suffers  disappoint- 
ment, which  eats  away  his  manhood,  a  quality  of  suffer- 
ing which  we  are  forbidden  to  inflict  upon  beasts,  for 
"  thou  shalt  not  muzzle  the  ox  when  he  treadeth  out  the 


140  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

corn."  With  the  same  divine  conception  of  mercy, 
instruments  of  labor  are  forbidden  to  be  taken  away  or 
taxed,  if  their  owner  needs  them  to  gain  a  livelihood: 
"  No  man  shall  take  the  nether  or  the  upper  millstone 
to  pledge;  for  he  taketh  a  man's  life  to  pledge."  Would 
not  this  mean,  besides,  preparing  poverty  for  a  man  who 
would  otherwise  be  happy,  because  industrious  ?  Thus, 
when  the  unfortunates  are  committed  to  the  charity  of 
man,  the  wisdom  of  the  Law  streams  forth  like  the 
word  God,  written  on  the  mitre  of  the  high  priest. 
Everything  has  a  claim  on  man's  mercy,  and  the  Mosaic 
code  would  have  the  creature  made  "  in  the  image  of 
God,"  resemble  his  Creator  by  cultivating  in  him  the 
divine  attributes  of  virtue^  justice  and  mercy;  many 
splendid  blossoms  have  bloomed  on  the  tree  of  life,  and 
showered  down  leaves  to  make  a  soft  bed  for  the  poor, 
and  have  shed  fragrance,  and  lent  strength  to  those  who 
needed  comforting. 

In  every  century  Mosaic  charity  has  communicated 
its  spiritual  essence  to  society  at  large,  and  has  given  to 
the  needy  a  friend  and  support.  Antiquity  records  the 
charity  of  Helena,  Queen  of  Adiabene,  and  her  son 
Monabazus,  both  proselytes  to  the  Jewish  faith,  who 
labored  to  relieve  the  people  during  the  great  famine  in 
Judaea  by  distributing  food  and  money  among  them, 
and  down  through  the  roll  of  ages  we  come  to  our 
modern  times !  Moses  Montefiore  and  his  gentle  wife 
Judith  exemplified,  in  the  highest  degree,  what  charity 
was,  taught  by  the  Mosaic  law.  Fancy  these  two 
inspired  beings  moving  calmly  side  by  side  to  relieve 
stricken  families  of  whatever  faith,  wherever  found, 
crossing  seas  to  pour  gold  and  comforting  words  upon  suf- 
fering fellow-creatures  in  the  Holy  Land.  Then,  when 
this  sympathizing  wife  is  laid  in  the  bosom  of  the  earth, 
look  once  more  at  this  angelic  old  man,  ninety-seven 


CHARITY  AS  TAUGHT  BY  THE  L,AW — STERN.       141 

years  old,  braving  the  dangers  of  a  long  journey  again, 
his  seventh  trip  to  Damascus,  to  let  fall  his  charity  like 
the  soft  dew  from  heaven. 

Regard  the  multiplicity  of  charities  of  Judah  Touro. 
Besides  endowing  orphan  asylums  in  many  cities  of  the 
United  States,  he  left  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  the  poor 
in  Jerusalem.  And  who  can  estimate  the  charities  of 
the  Rothschilds !  they  support  whole  towns  in  the  Holy 
L,and,  and  in  European  cities,  schools,  colleges  and  syna- 
gogues are  drawing  their  maintenance  from  their  coffers, 
while,  but  a  short  while  ago,  one  of  their  chateaux  with 
its  beautiful  grounds  was  converted  into  a  home  for  the 
poor  and  the  sick. 

.  Baron  Hirsch  may  be  called  the  noblest  exponent  of 
Mosaic  charity,  and  if  the  stones  preached  sermons,  and 
if  the  stars  above  were  tongues,  they  could  not  tell  of 
the  many  hearts  he  soothes,  the  many  agonies  he  palli- 
ates, the  many  lives  he  saves  for  usefulness. 

Mohammed  said,  "  Solomon  was  sent  by  God  to  illus- 
trate His  attribute  of  wisdom,  Jesus,  His  righteousness, 
and  Moses,  His  providence."  Would  it  not  appear  that 
such  men  are  sent  always  to  confirm  a  providence  which 
never  lessens  ?  For  "  Mercy,  first  and  last,  shall  bright- 
est shine."  Almsgiving  is  a  cardinal  requirement  of  the 
Law.  The  first  fruits  of  corn  and  wine  and  oil  and 
flocks  were  to  be  given  to  the  priests,  because  in  their 
holy  office  they  could  not  till  the  ground,  or  tend  the  herd, 
and  supplementing  this  there  is  the  finest  of  human  laws: 

"  Six  years  let  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  enjoy  the 
fruits  as  a  reward  for  the  acquisitions  which  they  have 
made  and  for  the  labors  which  they  have  undergone  in 
cultivating  the  land;  but  for  one  year,  namely,  the  seventh, 
let  the  poor  and  needy  enjoy  it." 

Can  we  overestimate  the  quality  of  these  precepts? 
One  of  the  Greek  philosophers  has  said  about  them, 


142  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

"  Who  would  deny  that  these  go  to  the  very  furthest 
extent  of  humanity,  unless  he  had  tasted  of  this  sacred 
code  of  laws  only  with  the  edges  of  his  lips,  or  unless  he 
had  not  reveled  in  its  sweetest  and  most  beautiful  doc- 
trines?" 

These  doctrines  are  like  strands  of  assorted  pearls,  and 
lie  deep  in  Jewish  hearts;  they  are  the  strength  of  their 
strength,  and  appeal  to  the  reason  and  the  tenderness  of 
Jews.  Like  a  cry  come  up  these  words  to  them,  "  For 
the  poor  shall  never  cease  out  of  the  land,  therefore  I 
command  thee,  saying,  thou  shalt  open  thine  hand  wide 
unto  thy  brother,  to  thy  poor  and  to  thy  needy  in  thy 
land." 

This  age  is  made  glorious  by  its  development  of 
woman;  little  by  little  she  has  pulled  herself  up  from 
depths,  in  which  she  was  but  little  above  or  better  than 
the  brute  animal. 

Who  in  the  whole  history  of  the  world  was  the  first 
to  elevate  woman  ?  to  teach  delicacy  to  woman  ?  to  com- 
mand honor  of  woman,  and  to  insist  upon  her  rights  ?  It 
was  this  same  law-giver,  Moses,  who  has  purged  and 
cleansed  the  morals  of  the  world  from  the  inner  circle 
to  the  greatest.  He  purified  thoughts  about  woman,  and 
created  for  her  a  place  in  life,  next  in  dignity  to  man. 
And  as  dews  from  heaven  bring  forth  the  sweetness  from 
the  rose  to  exhale  upon  the  air,  so  have  these  tender 
laws  about  woman,  this  care  and  love  developed  her 
heart,  and  the  world  is  happier  for  having  had  noble 
women  who  are  sainted  in  the  minds  of  men  because  of 
their  charity  and  soft  comfortings. 

We  have  spoken  of  Judith  Montefiore  as  her  husband's 
inspiration,  how  she  helped  him  in  his  humanitarian 
work,  but  she  did  much  charity  of  her  own  accord.  She 
gave  from  her  own  means  in  a  queenly  and  gracious 
manner  regardless  of  the  creed  of  the  beneficiary;  it  was 


CHARITY  AS  TAUGHT  BY  THE  LAW — STERN.       143 

the  needy  human  being  she  sought  to  befriend,  not  the 
adherent  of  a  church  or  the  believer  in  a  dogma. 

In  Berlin  and  Vienna  there  lived  benevolent  daughters 
of  Daniel  Itzig,  nine  sisters,  cultured,  beautiful  and  gra- 
cious, each  possessing  many  accomplishments,  and  trained 
to  be  merciful  to  the  needy,  and  good  to  the  poor  and 
the  sick. 

Here,  in  America,  there  issues  a  light  from  the  grave 
enshrining  Rebecca  Gratz,  a  Philadelphian.  She  at- 
tended the  synagogue  on  every  Sabbath,  and  during  her 
whole  beautiful  life  "never  went  astray  in  the  slightest 
instance "  from  ancestral  teachings,  and  her  charities, 
many  and  far-reaching,  were  conceived  in  a  liberal  spirit. 
She  included  suffering  humanity  in  her  plans  of  mercy, 
and  refused  to  draw  the  line  at  creed;  her  heart  was  a 
mine  of  compassion  for  those  who  most  needed  it,  and 
she  bestowed  it  lavishly  upon  them.  She  founded  the 
first  Hebrew  Sunday  School  in  America,  and  was  its 
superintendent  for  thirty-two  years,  and  helped  to  found 
the  Foster  Home,  the  Fuel  Society,  the  Sewing  Society 
and  the  Hebrew  Benevolent  Society.  Her  friend  was 
Washington  Irving,  who  was  a  great  admirer  of  her  mind 
and  heart,  and  history  has  it  that  once,  when  visiting  at 
the  home  of  Walter  Scott,  he  learned  of  "  Ivanhoe," 
then  in  process  of  writing,  and  that  Scott  was  casting 
about  to  introduce  a  Jewish  heroine  into  the  novel.  Irv- 
ing described  Miss  Gratz,  and  grew  so  enthusiastic  over 
her  that  Scott  drew  a  character  from  his  description. 
When  his  book  was  completed,  he  asked  Irving  how  the 
"  Rebecca  "  of  "  Ivanhoe  "  corresponded  with  his  original; 
it  is,  indeed,  a  fit  monument  unto  so  sweet  a  life  as 
Rebecca  Gratz  lived. 

And  now  while  we  write  of  noble  women  who  lived 
with  their  palms  turned  outward,  and  illustrated  Mosaic 
charity,  let  us  not  forget  a  great  woman  whom  the 


144 


JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 


Talmud  honors  with  the  name  of  "  daughter  of  God," 
that  woman  whose  maternal  affections  beatified  her  life, 
and  who  clasped  to  her  womanly  heart  the  crying  child 
from  out  of  his  green  cradle,  wherein  he  rocked  upon 
the  water,  the  Egyptian  princess,  Pharaoh's  daughter — 
who  adopted  the  babe,  and  cared  for  it,  and  loved  it  with 
a  mother's  love,  and  called  him  Moses. 

Thus  God  chose  a  woman  to  execute  His  design  to 
preserve  to  the  world  the  greatest  good  it  has  ever  known, 
through  this  man  Moses,  whose  laws  will  last  until 
heaven  comes  down  to  earth,  and  God  walks  abroad  on 
the  face  of  the  deep. 

For,  to  quote  Moses'  own  words,  "  My  doctrine  shall 
drop  as  the  rain,  my  speech  shall  distil  as  the  dew,  as  the 
small  rain  upon  the  tender  herb  and  as  the  showers  upon 
the  grass." 


WOMAN'S    PLACE    IN    CHARITABLE   WORK— 
WHAT  IT  IS  AND  WHAT  IT  SHOULD  BE. 


CARRIE  SHEVELSON  BENJAMIN,  DENVER,  COL. 


In  a  far-off  country,  where  the  snow  rests  eternal  on 
the  mountain  tops,  there  towers  a  grand  mountain  peak 
covered  with  shining  snow  as  with  a  bridal  robe.  Its 
crest  is  raised  in  high  majesty  against  the  blue  sky,  a 
vast,  white,  towering  mass  of  resplendent  crystal,  whose 
dazzling  beauty  fills  the  trembling  air.  Royal  dignity 
shines  from  the  gracious  forehead;  delicate  grace  perme- 
ates every  outline  of  rock  and  snow — a  sweet  and  glorious 
presence.  The  simple  people  of  the  mountains  hundreds 
of  years  ago  paid  their  tribute  to  womanhood  by  naming 
this  peak  "  Diejungfrau."  The  appellation  implies  that 
beauty  and  grace  are  woman's  heritage  from  all  genera- 
tions; homage  and  adoration,  her  rightful  dower.  She  is 
the  wind  of  the  evening  and  the  spice  of  the  forests 
transformed  into  a  presence,  the  glory  of  sunshine  become 
material,  the  white  foam  of  the  ocean  moulded  into  ex- 
quisite form,  and  the  gleaming  snow  turned  into  lovely 
flesh.  The  radiance  of  the  enduring  stars  is  her  soul, 
the  charity  of  God  is  her  heart.  And  this  that  scattereth 
abroad  help  like  light  among  the  children  of  men  is — 
woman. 

With  such  a  heritage  as  her  special  dower,  with  such 
a  mission  as  her  special  duty,  with  such  a  banner  as  her 
special  sceptre,  why  need  woman  seek  other  rights  and 
other  spheres  ?  At  the  recent  Women's  Congress  held 
here,  one  of  the  apostles  of  the  new  creed  of  women — 
the  right  to  be  men — in  speaking  of  woman's  sphere, 

10  (145) 


146  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

said,  "  Why,  she  hasn't  even  a  hemi-sphere."  We  think 
she  has  not  only  a  hemisphere,  but  the  whole  world,  with 
which  to  play  shuttle-cock,  if  she  will  but  use  the  proper 
battledore.  A  rabbinical  story  relates  that  twelve  baskets 
of  gifts  fell  from  heaven,  and  that  Eve  secured  nine 
while  Adam  was  picking  up  the  three.  And  we  are 
inclined  to  believe  that  since  then  she  has  obtained  the 
use  of  all. 

At  any  rate,  in  the  field  of  charity,  which  is  almost  co- 
extensive with  the  field  of  human  action,  there  is  no  one 
to  dispute  woman's  rights,  no  male  angel  Gabriel  standing 
with  flaming  sword  at  the  gate,  saying,  "  Thus  far  and 
no  farther."  Here  she  can  be  a  priestess  to  herself  and 
to  others.  Had  this  field  of  woman's  usefulness  and 
special  fitness  been  cultivated  with  half  the  zeal  that  has 
been  devoted  to  the  so-called  woman's  cause  in  other 
directions,  the  fig-tree  had  sprung  up  instead  of  the 
thistle.  Did  woman  understand  that  this  is  her  strength, 
of  which,  unlike  Samson  of  old,  she  cannot  be  shorn, 
she  would  not  be  at  the  mercy  of  every  Philistine  who 
mocks  at  woman's  rights  and  woman's  sphere. 

Woman's  fitness  for  the  work  of  charity  is  emphasized 
throughout  the  old  Hebrew  writings.  According  to 
their  idea  the  perfect  woman  must  possess  energy, 
strength  of  purpose  and  active  zeal  in  ministering  to 
the  poor  at  her  door,  giving  them  her  time,  her  trouble, 
her  loving  sympathy.  She  may  open  her  mouth  to  wis- 
dom, but  her  tongue  must  know  the  law  of  kindness. 
As  the  needle  to  the  pole,  so  should  a  true  woman's 
heart  turn  to  deeds  of  charity.  If  man's  proper  study 
is  man,  woman's  proper  study  is  charity.  This  is  the 
work  that  lies  nearest  her,  and  should  be  dearest  to  her. 
She  herself  was  a  gift  of  God's  compassion  for  man, 
when  God  saw  that  it  was  not  good  for  man  to  be  alone. 
Hence  she  is  an  attribute  itself  of  a  divine  charity. 


WOMAN'S  PLACE  IN  CHARITABLE  WORK — BENJAMIN.   147 

Ruskin  writes,  "  A  woman  has  a  personal  work  and 
duty  relating  to  her  own  home,  and  a  public  work  and 
duty  which  is  the  expansion  of  that.  What  the  woman 
is  to  be  within  her  gates  as  the  centre  of  order,  the 
balm  of  distress  and  the  mirror  of  beauty;  that  she  is  to 
be  without  her  gates  where  order  is  more  difficult,  dis- 
tress more  imminent  and  loveliness  more  rare." 

The  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter  is  this:  Let 
woman's  rights  become  woman's  duties,  and  woman's 
suffrage  humanity's  sufferings,  and  let  her  remember 
that  though  she  have  the  gift  of  prophecy,  and  under- 
stand all  onomies  and  ologies  and  the  mysteries  of  spheres 
and  hemi,  yea,  demi-spheres,  though  she  speak  many 
languages  with  the  tongues  of  men  and  of  angels, 
though  she  be  clothed  in  splendor,  so  that  not  even 
Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  arrayed  like  one  of  them, 
if  she  have  not  charity,  it  profiteth  her  nothing. 

What  is  this  charity,  this  bright  jewel  in  woman's 
crown  of  glory,  which  is  co-eval  with  the  ages  ?  For, 
in  the  Mosaic  institutions,  there  abound  laws  which 
inculcate  tenderness,  compassion  and  merciful  care  for 
human  kind  and  the  lower  animals.  Doubtless,  the 
ferocity  of  a  nomadic  race  was  greatly  restrained  by 
these  humane  enactments,  and  the  sweet  amenities  of 
life  were  encouraged  to  blossom  even  amid  the  ster- 
ility and  desolation  of  the  Arabian  desert.  What  is  this 
charity  of  which  the  unthinking  prattle,  and  which 
earnest  men  and  women  find  it  an  herculean  task  to 
grapple  with  ?  Everything  that  can  uplift  the  condi- 
tion of  that  great  mass  of  poverty  and  ignorance,  which 
forms  the  lowest  and  largest  stratum  of  civilized  socie- 
ties, comes  under  the  definition  of  charity.  Everything 
which  seeks  to  remove  the  curse  of  poverty  from  those 
upon  whom  it  has  come  down,  not  only  in  hereditary 
entail,  but  upon  whom  it  has  held  mortgages  before 


148  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

even  the  deeds  were  put  into  their  hands,  is  charity. 
And  everyone,  from  the  legislator  who  makes  wise  laws 
for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  to  the  young  girl  who  per. 
suades  a  maidservant  to  lay  aside  some  of  her  earnings 
instead  of  squandering  them,  is  an  agent  in  the  cause 
of  charity. 

If  it  is  true  that  charity  covers  a  multitude  of  sins,  it 
is  also  true  that  it  brings  to  light  a  multitude  of  virtues. 
If  use  and  abuse  enter  into  this  field,  it  is  only  because 
human  nature  will  not  change,  even  though  benevo- 
lently disposed  both  to  give  and  to  receive.  The  uses 
of  charity,  like  those  of  adversity,  are  sweet.  The 
abuses  of  charity,  like  those  of  experience,  are  stepping- 
stones  to  higher  things.  If  charity  succeeds  in  uniting 
doubters,  atheists  and  devotees  under  a  common  creed — 
that  of  humanity — it  fulfils  a  divine  mission.  If  it 
notices  one  raven's  fall,  and  uplifts  it  to  a  purer  atmos- 
phere, it  asserts  man's  likeness  to  God.  If  charity 
unlocks  the  left  hand  as  well  as  the  right,  it  explodes  a 
poor  theory,  and  removes  a  honeyed  morsel  that  has 
been  chewed  too  long.  The  fear  of  disobeying  the 
command  that  the  left  hand  shall  not  know  what  the 
right  hand  gives  has,  in  many  cases,  paralyzed  the  right 
hand  altogether.  It  would  be  as  well  to  let  the  left 
hand  into  the  secret.  There  are  a  few  persons  capable 
of  silent  and  unrecognized  labors  for  the  poor,  but  the 
larger  number  must  always  be  stimulated  by  the  recog- 
nition of  the  world.  If  charity  gives  employment  to 
the  idle  rich,  let  alone  to  the  idle  poor,  it  prevents  much 
mischief.  If  it  asserts  its  claim  as  woman's  prerogative, 
it  gives  the  woman's  cause  an  impetus  devoutly  to  be 
wished.  If  a  true  charity  teaches  a  false  charity  that 
there  is  no  cause  for  a  paean  of  self-gratulation  when 
reports,  newspapers  and  pulpits  announce  that  in  one 
year  so  many  cases  were  relieved  by  donations  of  money 


WOMAN'S  PLACE  IN  CHARITABLE  WORK — BENJAMIN.  149 

and  food,  or  so  many  poor  families  were  given  traveling 
expenses  from  one  city  to  another,  it  asserts  its  higher 
and  better  aims.  If  charity  succeeds  in  basing  its  opera- 
tions on  a  strictly  quid  pro  quo  principle,  and  thereby 
blots  out  from  its  vocabulary  the  word  relieve,  and  sub- 
stitutes the  word  prevent,  it  will  then  indeed  "drop  like 
the  gentle  rain  from  heaven." 

Of  the  abuses  of  charity  more  can  be  said.  It  is 
abused  by  the  individual  who  gives  indiscriminately, 
and  by  the  individual  who  receives  with  the  same  indis- 
crimination. It  is  impossible  to  stir  the  surface  of  any 
of  our  charitable  institutions  without  discovering  the 
wholesale  imposition  practiced.  If  a  charitable  door  is 
opened,  whether  it  lead  to  a  benevolent  individual  or  to 
a  benevolent  society,  the  throngs  that  enter  are  mainly 
shams  and  cheats.  The  fault  often  rests  with  a  chari- 
table system  which  shifts  the  duties  of  a  whole  commu- 
nity to  the  shoulders  of  a  generous,  but  not  always  judi- 
cious minority.  If  the  alms  capriciously  bestowed  in  a 
single  month  were,  at  the  end  of  that  time,  collected 
and  distributed  with  order  and  intelligence,  the  result 
would  prevent  pauperism  from  following  in  the  wake  of 
charity. 

Organized  or  scientific  charity  aims  to  correct  this 
evil.  The  time  has  passed  for  the  Charles  Lamb-like 
philosopher  to  sneer  at  scientific  charity.  It  is  as  sen- 
sible to  sneer  at  scientific  physiology,  or  scientific  anat- 
omy, or  at  scientific  anything  else,  as  at  scientific 
charity,  which  is  merely  a  phrase  describing  an  intel- 
ligent system  of  treating  poverty,  founded  on  the  widest 
actual  experience  and  the  most  careful  thought.  The 
amelioration  of  humanity  under  its  varied  phases  of 
misfortune  must  become  a  science,  the  appliances  of 
which  must  be  carefully  studied,  or  the  obstacles  to  good 
works  will  be  increased.  The  spirit  of  association 


150  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

involving  unity  of  purpose  also  involves  division  of 
labor,  so  that  individual  charity  in  the  shape  of  personal 
contact  and  friendly  visitation  is  not  excluded.  While 
it  offers  the  means  of  realizing  the  loftiest  enterprise,  it 
also  gives  efficacy  to  the  humblest  efforts. 

Of  many  charitable  institutions,  both  public  and  pri- 
vate, there  is  no  end,  and  their  name  is  legion.  Millions 
of  money  are  expended  every  year  in  benevolent  work 
by  countless  charitable  societies  and  countless  institu- 
tions. Among  these  the  Jewish  charities  assume  no 
mean  proportions.  Judaism,  in  its  broadest  sense,  is 
synonymous  with  humanity,  and  the  expression,  "  rich 
as  a  Jew,"  is  merely  negative,  implying  that  there  are 
no  poor  Jews  depending  on  any  but  their  own  charities. 
There  is  no  philanthropic  work  where  Jewish  women, 
when  permitted,  do  not  take  an  active  and  a  leading 
part.  Yes,  our  cities  are  full  of  charities,  some  languish- 
ing for  lack  of  funds  and  personal  interest,  others  flour- 
ishing with  noble  endeavor  and  achievement.  Our  cities 
are  also  full  of  persons  who  give  freely,  and  who  seem 
ready  to  plunge  recklessly  into  the  formation  of  still 
more  charity-societies  and  buildings.  And  yet  much  of 
this  must  be  effort  absolutely  wasted,  since  poverty 
increases,  ignorance  runs  riot,  and  crime  keeps  pace  with 
these.  It  strikes  us  that  an  increase  in  the  number  of 
churches  erected  bears  an  inverse  ratio  to  that  of  char- 
ity institutions.  Besides,  more  churches  do  not  always 
imply  more  church-goers.  But  more  charity  buildings 
seem  to  augment  the  ranks  of  the  poverty-stricken. 
"  The  poor  ye  always  have  with  you,"  is  true,  but  it  is 
equally  true  that  much  brick  and  mortar,  many  asylums 
and  institutions  are  only  a  panacea  for  ills,  not  a  cure. 

Preventive  and  educational  charity — this  is  the  remedy. 
Some  one  has  said  that  nudity  and  rags  are  only  human 
idleness  and  ignorance  out  on  exhibition.  Every  charity, 


WOMAN'S  PLACE  IN  CHARITABLE  WORK — BENJAMIN.  151 

no  matter  how  important  or  how  beautiful,  that  does  not 
tend  to  prevent  the  evils  of  idleness  and  ignorance, 
defeats  the  very  end  for  which  it  exists.  Give  work  to 
the  able-bodied  idle,  and  you  do  much  to  empty  refuges 
for  the  unfortunate.  Establish  an  orphan's  society  that 
shall  possess  not  one  brick  in  the  way  of  an  asylum, 
but  that  shall  create  a  thousand  new  homes,  individual 
homes,  for  a  thousand  street  Arabs,  and  you  have  a 
remedy  for  juvenile  pauperism.  It  is  the  influence  of 
work  over  idleness,  of  homes  over  institutions,  that  is 
needed.  Volumes  full  of  truth  and  eloquence  might  be 
written  on  this  subject.  But  the  pen  of  the  writer 
would  have  to  be  dipped  into  a  sunbeam  to  write,  with 
sufficient  eloquence,  of  the  benefits  of  the  education  of 
the  poor.  It  is  a  well-worn  axiom  that  where  ignorance 
prevails  there  is  the  greatest  amount  of  pauperism  and 
crime.  If  much  cannot  be  done  with  the  old  and  hard- 
ened pauper  something  can  be  done  with  his  child. 
The  prophecy  of  Fichte  is  true,  "  The  first  generation 
will  be  the  only  one  upon  whom  it  will  be  necessary 
to  use  constraint."  Succeeding  generations  will  lean 
toward  education  as  the  flowers  toward  the  sun,  as  the 
dry  leaves  to  the  refreshing  rain.  Much  has  been  done, 
but  there  is  much  more  left  undone.  There  are  times 
when  the  limitations  of  man's  power  to  help  man's  need 
drive  one  into  despondency  and  despair.  We  reap  our 
little  corner,  and  see  the  wide  fields  stretch  beyond,  not 
only  unsown,  but  unploughed. 

Who  shall  take  these  matters  in  hand  ?  Shall  they  be 
left  to  legislation  ?  Yes,  if  legislation  were  ideal.  Look 
at  Europe;  its  very  heart  is  being  eaten  out  by  the  cancer 
growth  of  all  sorts  of  dreadful  isms,  because  df  too  much, 
or  perchance  too  little,  legislation.  Look  at  our  own 
country.  Legislation  has  much  to  answer  for,  and  its 
responses,  like  those  of  the  oracle  of  old,  are  often 


152  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

unsatisfactory,  if,  coming  from  a  silver  State,  I  may  be 
permitted  to  criticise  recent  legislation. 

And  in  this  connection  I  may  be  pardoned  if  I  speak 
with  special  pride  of  Denver's  charities  at  all  times,  but 
especially  in  these  times  that  have  tried  its  soul.  When 
a  legislation,  without  legislating,  shut  down  Colorado's 
mines,  and  thrust  thousands  of  men  with  their  dependent 
families  out  into  a  sea  of  trouble,  Denver's  men  and 
women  came  nobly  to  their  relief.  The  history  of  its 
Governor's  misunderstood  remark  of  "  blood  to  the 
bridle  "  has  been  written  up  and  spread  abroad  in  article 
upon  article,  and  illustrated  in  cartoon  upon  cartoon, 
by  newspapers  that  are  fond  of  sensations,  and  by  those 
whose  printers'  devils,  were  there  no  sensations,  would 
cry  for  "  copy  "  in  vain.  But  what  about  the  unwritten 
history  of  the  deeds  of  charity  done  in  Denver?  When 
in  one  night  like  magic  there  sprang  up,  in  the  open 
field,  hundreds  of  homes  in  the  shape  of  tents  for  the 
homeless,  provided  with  food  for  the  hungry?  What 
about  the  public  works  pushed  for  the  sake  of  giving 
employment  to  the  idle  ?  What  about  heaping  coals  of 
fire  on  the  enemy's  head  by  sending  car-loads  of  food 
from  Denver  to  the  unemployed  of  "gold-bug"  New 
York  ?  Colorado's  skirts  may  be  trailed  in  the  dust,  but 
with  such  a  record,  her  head  must  rise  peerless  to  the 
skies.  Hence  it  is  evident  that,  until  a  legislation 
becomes  ideal,  nothing  can  touch  the  evils  of  poverty  so 
well  as  the  work  that  can  be  done  outside  of  State  and 
even  church  by  those  who  have  the  heart  to  feel,  the 
hands  to  do,  and,  above  all,  the  time  to  do  it  in.  For 
the  real  growth  of  philanthropic  work  depends  upon  the 
time  intelligently  devoted  to  it. 

It  seems  conclusive  that  it  is  to  woman  that  we  must 
look  as  the  invincible  agent  in  this  work.  She  is 
divinely  appointed,  and  innately  fitted,  and  for  the  most 


WOMAN'S  PLACE  IN  CHARITABLE  WORK — BENJAMIN.  153 

part  endowed  with  what  is  of  essential  value — leisure. 
To  the  unoccupied  woman  the  plea  arises  loudest.  When 
we  speak  of  unoccupied  women,  we  mean,  not  only  the 
familiar  type  of  the  woman  indifferent  to  all  things,  but 
also  those  who  live  in  careless  comfort,  and  who  some- 
times satisfy  their  half-awakened  consciences  by  giving 
to  the  poor  what  they  can  readily  spare  from  their  well- 
filled  larder  and  press.  Often  the  quality  of  such  charity 
of  cold  victuals  and  old  clothes  is  much  more  apt  to 
bless  those  who  give  than  those  who  take,  by  relieving 
larder  and  press  of  burdensome  effects.  We  also  include 
those  women  who  pass  long  mornings  at  society  sewing- 
circles,  full  of  the  idea  that  they  are  discharging  their 
duty  to  the  poor,  when  the  essential  labor  of  personal 
contact,  of  judicious  investigation  and  education  is  left 
undone.  Such  sewing  has  to  be  done,  but  let  it  be  rele- 
gated to  the  pauper  women  who  are  supported  in  idle- 
ness, and  be  paid  for.  There  is  an  appallingly  large 
class  of  these  unoccupied  women,  rich  as  well  as  poor, 
and  it  is  vastly  important  to  develop  this  wasted  power 
into  labor  for  the  common  good.  Work  is  the  appointed 
lot  of  all,  and  neither  the  lazy  rich  nor  the  lazy  poor 
can  escape  this  edict.  Position,  influence  and  wealth 
are  not  indispensable.  The  widow's  mite  of  time  serves 
here  as  the  coin  of  old.  "  Every  man  hath  business, 
such  as  it  is,"  and  indeed  the  most  delicate  butterfly  of 
fashion  sighs:  "I  am  so  busy,"  but  the  question  should 
be  forced  upon  you,  pretty  butterfly,  "  What  is  this  busi- 
ness?" Suppose  an  ideal  legislation  should  place  a 
levy  on  your  time  in  favor  of  the  unfortunate,  after  the 
manner  of  the  tithes  of  feudal  times  ?  Suppose  an  ideal 
legislation  should  draft  you  into  a  standing  army  of 
women  of  leisure  to  do  charity  service  ?  and  train  you 
in  the  best  tactics  of  social  usefulness,  thus  teaching 
you  that  only  by  having  the  interests  of  the  poor  at 


i54  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

heart  can  you  become  a  good  citizen,  thereby  also  per- 
petuating the  idea  that  you  cannot  live  to  yourself  alone, 
but  must  bear  others'  burdens  ?  It  would  tax  the  limits 
of  this  paper  to  enlarge  upon  the  beauties  of  such  a 
scheme.  We  can  give  only  the  merest  diagnosis  of  the 
disease,  and  only  hint  at  the  remedy.  If  to  do  were  as 
easy  as  to  suggest  what  were  good  to  do,  chapels  had 
been  workshops,  and  poor  men's  unsafe  tenements  sani- 
tary cottages.  Did  every  spark  let  fall  from  the  pyro- 
technic display  of  eloquence  offered  within  these  walls 
at  the  myriad  congresses  held  here,  take  effect,  there 
would  arise  a  conflagration,  compared  with  which  your 
fire  of  '71  would  be  as  "moonlight  unto  sunlight,  and 
as  water  unto  wine." 

It  is  an  old  legend  of  just  men,  noblesse  oblige,  or 
superior  advantages  bind  you  to  larger  generosities. 
Hence  the  more  gifted  the  woman,  the  more  goods  she 
is  endowed  with,  the  more  leisure  she  possesses,  the 
greater  the  demands  on  these  resources. 

Bentham's  principle,  "  the  greatest  good  to  the  greatest 
number,"  is  most  true  of  charity.  The  benefits  of  the 
more  fortunate  must  be  bestowed  on  the  less,  or  they 
convict  themselves  of  unfitness  to  possess  their  advan- 
tages. Surely  the  graces  of  culture  and  wealth  will  not 
be  thrown  away  if  exercised  among  the  humblest  and 
the  least  cultured,  for  they  need  them  and  must  have 
them,  or  they  will  remain  blind  forces  in  the  world,  the 
levers  of  demagogues,  who  preach  anarchy,  and  misname 
it  progress.  There  is  no  culture  so  high,  no  refinement 
of  wealth  so  exquisite,  that  it  cannot  find  full  play  in 
the  broadest  field  of  humanity,  and  there  shed  a  light 
which  shall  illumine  surrounding  gloom,  and  without 
which  life  is  like  one  of  the  old  landscapes  into  which 
the  artist  forgot  to  put  the  sunlight.  If  your  fruits  are 
gathered  up  in  storehouses  and  barns,  they  must  decay 


WOMAN'S  PLACE  IN  CHARITABLE  WORK — BENJAMIN.  155 

and  die.  If  your  coin  is  put  into  chests  and  vaults,  the 
moth  and  rust  must  corrupt  and  destroy  it. 

No  matter  what  her  walk  in  life  may  be,  woman  can 
take  up  arms  in  the  cause  of  charity.  Whether  she  be 
on  the  highways  or  in  the  by-ways,  she  can  find  ample 
scope  for  her  energies  in  this  work.  Whether  she  walk 
in  the  day-nurseries,  through  the  kindergartens,  in  the 
industrial  schools,  out  in  the  trades  with  the  wage-earners, 
into  the  tenements,  into  the  hospitals,  out  in  the  streets, 
into  the  homes  of  the  poor  and  the  rich — "  the  ways,  they 
are  many,  the  end  it  is  one."  It  is  said  that  women  have 
a  mania  for  organizing,  and  that  doctors  encourage  this 
as  a  cure  for  nervous  prostration.  This  sly  insinuation, 
with  all  its  attendant  sneers,  would  lose  its  force,  did 
women  put  forth  all  their  executive  efforts  in  ways  for 
which  they  are  pre-eminently  fitted,  and  for  ends  uni- 
versally good.  If  woman  must  be  an  organizer,  with 
all  the  influence  which  that  implies,  let  her  emphasize 
the  fact  at  her  meetings,  clubs,  and  congresses,  that 
woman's  sphere  may  comprise,  among  other  things, 
suffrage,  dress  reform,  and  charity,  but  that  the  great- 
est of  her  duties  is  charity.  If  the  woman's-rights 
woman  thinks,  with  Mrs.  Browning,  that  "  male  chiv- 
alry has  died  out,"  let  her  remember  that  in  the  cause 
of  charity  "  women  may  be  knight-errants  to  the  last. 
A  greater  Cervantes  shall  arise  who  will  make  his  Don 
a  Donna." 

When  woman  shall  walk  (uprightly)  in  the  many  ways 
that  charity  opens  for  her,  we  shall  see  that  a  new  polit- 
ical economy  will  arise  that  shall  be  to  the  old  science 
what  the  spirit  of  modern  religion  is  to  the  ecclesiasti- 
cism  which  has  been  its  unwilling  mother.  Let  woman, 
obeying  her  divine  mission,  be  the  modern  Heracles  to 
set  free  the  modern  Prometheus.  The  rocks  will  take 
up  the  chains  that  long  fettered  his  limbs.  The  hungry 


156  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

vultures  of  pauperism,  ignorance  and  crime  will  feed  on 
the  carcass  of  worn-out  life,  not  on  the  throbbing  heart 
The  fire  of  a  divine  charity,  filling  the  earth,  will  flame 
back  to  the  sun  by  day  and  the  stars  by  night.  "  Watch- 
ful angels  will  not  wear  their  faces  veiled,  and  shadows 
will  mimic  substance  no  longer." 


WOMAN'S  PLACE  IN  CHARITABLE  WORK— 
WHAT  IT  IS  AND  WHAT  IT 

SHOULD  BE. 
(Discussion  of  the  foregoing  paper. ) 


GOLDIE  BAMBER,  BOSTON,  MASS. 


Woman's  place  in  charity,  to-day,  is  that  of  a  self- 
constituted  agent  for  the  distribution  of  food,  fuel, 
clothing  and  money.  Suffering  and  pitiful  want  appeal 
mightily  to  her  tender  heart,  and  alms-giving  follows. 
This  is  but  a  "  sop  to  Cerberus,"  however,  and  while  it 
relieves  the  sensitive  susceptibilities  of  the  giver,  fosters 
rather  than  diminishes  pauperism,  the  evil  which  charity 
aims  to  obliterate.  In  my  work  among  the  poor,  I  have 
found  them,  as  Tolstoi  says,  "  As  other  men  are,"  diffi- 
cult to  assist  without  devoting  time  and  care  to  them; 
their  wretchedness  is  not  to  be  relieved  by  the  m?re 
giving  of  a  bank-note. 

Since,  then,  material  aid  is  obviously  insufficient  to 
do  more  than  relieve  for  the  day  or  the  hour,  it  is  in  the 
field  of  aesthetic  charity  that  we  must  labor  to  obtain 
permanent  results.  If  our  aim  is  to  effect  a  change,  to 
redeem  the  poor  and  uplift  them  from  their  sordid  sur- 
roundings, we  must  devote  time  and  thought  to  the 
character  and  need  of  the  individual. 

In  Boston,  we  have  commenced  with  the  children, 
trusting  through  them  to  influence  their  elders;  they  are 
the  future  citizens,  and  in  them  we  are  not  obliged  to 
contend  with  confirmed  habits,  old-world  prejudice  and 
superstitions.  Their  fresh,  young  minds  are  open  to 

(157) 


158  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

every  new  impression,  and  they  readily  adapt  themselves 
to  changed  conditions.  The  civilizing  and  educating 
influence  of  the  public  schools  is  not  undervalued,  but 
we  consider  it  necessary  to  supplement  this  by  special 
schools,  where  more  attention  may  be  paid  to  the  indi- 
vidual requirements,  to  the  assimilation  and  growth  of 
American  ideas. 

Three  years  ago,  through  the  interest  and  sympathy 
of  Mrs.  J.  H.  Hecht,  an  Industrial  School  was  opened 
with  twenty  miserably  unclean  and  melancholy  little 
girls  for  pupils.  The  school  numbers  to-day  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  tidy,  self-reliant  little  women,  and  they 
are  not  half  of  the  number  of  those  who  are  clamoring 
for  similar  advantages.  Our  first  step  in  character 
building,  after  we  have  won  the  confidence  of  the  child, 
is  to  impress  upon  its  mind  the  necessity  of  cleanliness; 
appreciation  of  the  hygienic  value  is  encouraged  by  the 
distribution  of  free  bath  tickets,  but  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  furnish  a  practical  illustration,  and  enforce 
neatness  with  these  unfortunate  children  in  their  soiled 
shreds  and  tatters,  if  the  Hebrew  Ladies'  Sewing  Society 
had  not  come  to  our  assistance,  and  provided  shoes,  cloth- 
ing, and  new  material.  Self-respect  and  industry  and 
order  were  then  developed  by  teaching  the  child  to  keep 
its  clothing  in  repair.  For  this,  classes  were  formed, 
after  school  hours,  in  plain  sewing,  darning  and  mend- 
ing. This  intimate  association  with  the  children  re- 
vealed to  us  the  deficiency  of  their  moral  and  religious 
training,  and  a  Sabbath  School  was  the  outgrowth. 
The  instruction  is  not  dogmatic,  and  observance  of  the 
forms  and  ceremonies  is  not  strenuously  insisted  on  so 
much  as  an  intelligent  conception  of  and  adherence  to 
the  vital  principles  of  Judaism. 

Knowing  that  these  girls  would  be  obliged  to  con- 
tribute toward  the  general  support  of  the  family  at  the 


WOMAN'S  PLACE  IN  CHARITABLE  WORK — BAMBER.   159 

earliest  age  that  the  law  allows,  we  endeavor  to  render 
them  capable  of  filling  good  positions.  The  time  after 
school  hours  was  found  to  be  all  too  short  for  thorough 
and  systematic  training,  so  evening  classes  were  inaugu- 
rated; there  sewing  is  taught  in  all  its  branches,  both 
hand  and  machine  work;  cutting  of  white  clothes;  dress 
making  and  fitting  by  chart  and  measure,  and  millinery 
making  and  trimming.  We  are  in  direct  communica- 
tion with  the  principal  business  firms,  who  send  to  us  for 
help,  and  we  hear  only  praise  of  the  neatness  and  effi- 
ciency of  our  pupils. 

Good  manners  are  cultivated,  and  opportunities  are 
given  the  children  at  religious  festivals,  concerts  and 
entertainments  to  meet  and  mingle  with  those  more 
favored  children  who  know  the  charms  of  a  refined 
home.  Friendly  relations  have  also  been  established 
with  the  parents  of  our  pupils,  and  they  have  been  urged 
to  encourage  their  children  to  put  into  practice  the 
knowledge  gained  at  school.  We  soon  became  aware  of 
the  ignorance  that  prevails  in  these  households  of  how 
to  perform  the  commonest  tasks,  or  prepare  the  simplest 
meal.  One  feature  of  the  industrial  school  is  the  Coun- 
try Week.  During  the  first  summer  we  attempted 
cooking  and  kitchen  gardening  with  excellent  results. 
The  utility  of  such  instruction  was  clearly  demonstrated 
in  the  improved  conditions  of  the  homes.  Extension 
of  our  future  work  will  therefore  be  along  these  lines. 
Another  much  appreciated  feature  of  the  school  is  the 
lending  library. 

These  advantages  offered  to  the  girls  excited  the 
interest  and  envy  of  their  brothers,  who  repeatedly 
appealed  to  us  for  corresponding  opportunities.  It  was 
finally  decided  to  open  a  boys'  club,  and  a  more  motley 
group  than  the  fifty  ragged,  dirty  newsboys  and  boot- 
blacks who  assembled  on  the  first  evening,  it  would  be 


160  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

difficult  to  find.  The  consternation  of  the  ten  or  twelve 
merchants  and  college  men  who  had  gathered  to  assist 
us  soon  gave  place  to  profound  interest  in  their  novel 
occupation.  The  aims  were  the  same  as  in  the  girls' 
school,  to  establish  habits  of  honesty,  industry  and  clean- 
liness, and  arouse  a  spirit  of  self-reliance  and  self-respect. 
As  with  the  girls,  a  practical  illustration  of  the  motto, 
"  Cleanliness  is  next  to  godliness,"  was  first  insisted  on. 
The  depth  of  enthusiasm  of  the  Harvard  man,  who 
himself  washed  and  combed  a  bright-eyed  little  gamin, 
was  not  participated  in  by  all;  but  night  after  night,  after 
study  and  business  hours,  social  and  household  demands, 
these  earnest  men  and  women  devoted  themselves  to  the 
making  of  worthy  American  citizens.  Lectures,  readings, 
debates,  informal  talks  on  social,  religious  and  scientific 
topics,  music,  games  and  gymnastics  filled  the  evenings 
of  these  boys,  and  withdrew  them  from  the  evil  influences 
of  the  street.  Among  the  two  hundred  neatly  dressed, 
well-mannered  fellows  listening  intelligently  to  a  lecture 
on  "  The  opportunities  that  America  offers  to  the  immi- 
grant," delivered  before  them  last  June,  it  would  have 
been  difficult  to  recognize  the  fifty  original  members. 
Interest  in  our  work  is  so  widespread  that  we  hope  soon 
to  have  a  well-equipped  building,  to  be  devoted  solely  to 
the  education  and  development  of  Jewish  youth. 

This  wave  of  interest  has  extended  even  to  the  parents 
of  our  pupils,  and  renewed  fervor  in  the  work  of  the 
Sewing  Society,  and  increase  in  the  ranks  of  the  district 
visitor  are  direct  results.  Although  more  tact  and  dis- 
cretion are  required,  previous  attempts  in  the  way  of 
furnishing  employment,  amusement  and  instruction  to 
the  adults,  have  proved  how  much  can  be  accomplished 
in  arousing  their  dormant  self-respect  and  independence. 
One  visit  to  their  squalid  habitations  will  convince  you, 
as  no  printed  or  recited  story  can,  of  the  necessity  of 


WOMAN'S  PLACE  IN  CHARITABLE  WORK — BAMBER.    161 

"better  dwellings"  societies.  After  such  a  visit  you 
will  not  doubt  the  guarded  rumors  of  immorality  said 
to  exist  there ;  moral  cleanliness  and  well-being  are 
greatly  dependent  on  environment,  and  such  surround- 
ings are  degrading  and  debasing.  There  is  room  for 
more  Jewish  women  on  the  roll  of  the  society  which 
compels  the  Board  of  Health  to  condemn  and  landlords 
to  pull  down  unfit  dwellings,  and  erect  in  their  stead 
convenient,  well-ventilated  apartments. 

No  society  has  greater  influence  in  this  work  of  ele- 
vating the  poor  and  fitting  them  for  improved  conditions 
than  the  Boston  Women's  Educational  and  Industrial 
Union,  numbering  Jewish  women  among  its  members. 
The  Young  Women's  Hebrew  Association,  although 
established  only  two  years  ago,  is  also  an  important 
factor  in  the  redemption  of  the  poor;  it  relieves  im- 
mediate want,  provides  physicians  and  nurses,  and  gives 
occasional  outings  to  the  children.  A  day-nursery  and  a 
diet-kitchen  are  among  their  plans  for  the  immediate 
future. 

Tchernystchewsky,  in  his  book,  "What's  to  be 
done?"  deals  with  the  very  people,  the  problem  of 
whose  salvation  we  are  trying  to  solve;  from  his  state- 
ments and  by  our  own  experience,  we  learn  that  it  is  only 
through  association,  by  actual  contact,  that  we  may  hope 
for  their  regeneration.  The  dread  of  disease  and  con- 
tagion should  not  separate  us  from  our  unfortunate 
brothers  and  sisters,  especially  as  with  crowded  thorough- 
fares, public  conveyances,  places  of  amusement,  and 
money,  the  universal  medium  of  exchange  between  rich 
and  poor,  teeming  with  germs,  we  cannot  expect  to 
enjoy  immunity  from  disease,  even  if  we  keep  away 
from  the  poor. 

Wherever  and  whenever  a  well-directed  movement  is 
inaugurated  for  the  betterment  of  downtrodden  humanity, 
ii 


i6z  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

woman's  wisest  energies  should  be  employed.  Her  place 
is  in  a  field  of  usefulness,  bounded  only  by  her  good 
intentions. 

All  Israel  suffers  in  the  degradation  of  its  poor; 
woman  is  the  Messiah  come  to  deliver  them  from  their 
second  bondage  of  ignorance  and  misery.  She  is  the 
educator,  the  reformer,  and  the  reward  of  her  labor  will 
be  the  evolution  of  a  nobler  race  of  worthy  citizens  and 
respected  members  of  society. 


WOMAN'S  PLACE  IN  CHARITABLE  WORK— 

WHAT  IT  IS  AND  WHAT  IT 

SHOULD  BE. 

(Discussion  of  the  foregoing  paper. ) 


R.  W.  NAVRA,  NEW  ORLEANS,  LA. 


When  we  turn  to  the  consideration  of  a  subject  as  far- 
reaching  as  the  one  now  before  us,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  it  is  an  inherent  law  that  the  actual  facts  of  the 
present  and  the  possible  ones  of  the  future  are  influenced 
by  those  of  the  past. 

Therefore,  we,  who  stand  to-day  with  the  broad  light 
of  civilization  illuminating  all  avenues  of  thought,  with 
the  gleam  of  "  right  purity,  right  truth,  right  rapture  " 
shedding  rays  into  the  misty  future,  must  seek  for  the 
spark  of  this  brilliant  and  intelligent  illumination  in  the 
comparative  twilight  of  the  past.  The  vista  thus  pre- 
sented is  almost  endless.  Even  in  the  primitive  creed 
of  the  ancient  Greeks,  we  find  that  the  pure  and  beauti- 
ful woman  whose  form  always  stood  as  a  type  of  the 
most  exalted  virtue,  the  one  whose  arms  were  entwined 
about  the  figures  of  Hope  and  Faith,  Charity,  was  con- 
sidered the  greatest.  If,  then,  even  with  such  rivalry, 
the  figure  of  Charity  stood  supreme  between  the  other 
Graces,  surely  the  crown,  sceptre  and  mantle  of  that 
rank,  which  has  descended  through  the  ages  on  all 
women,  must  determine  the  supremacy  of  her  position 
in  the  world's  charitable  work.  As  the  gradual  and 
imperceptible  changes  of  the  social  scale  have  taken 

(163) 


164  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

place,  and  the  intellectual  ranks  given  to  woman  have 
become  established,  she  has  assumed  the  position  of 
almoner,  as  alleviator  of  the  sufferings  of  others,  striving 
to  maintain  her  position  as  a  true  disciple  of  the  great 
Queen  Charity,  who  was  so  worshiped  and  so  deified  in 
the  past. 

We  of  to-day  who  see  constantly  the  great  need  in 
our  cities  among  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  God's 
people,  all  races,  all  ranks,  all  creeds  and  all  characters, 
especially  since  the  great  immigration  of  Russia's  per- 
secuted Jews,  must  feel  that  there  is  a  vast  field  for  the 
executive  ability  of  woman,  as  well  as  for  all  her  tact, 
diplomacy,  patience  and  untiring  effort  in  educating  the 
young.  It  has  been  my  personal  experience,  and  from 
such  data  we  consciously  and  unconsciously  form  our 
conclusions,  that  the  mere  question  of  money-giving  or 
of  gaining  subscriptions  for  charitable  work  is,  espe- 
cially among  the  generous-hearted  people  of  our  sect, 
and  in  our  Southern  city,  not  the  most  difficult  problem 
to  solve.  Rather  the  most  formidable,  because  it  entails 
both  good  and  evil,  is  the  injudicious  giving  of  money 
to  the  poor.  Cases  occur  to  my  mind  in  which  some 
modern  Croesus,  moved  by  a  sense  of  pity  aroused  by  a 
tale  of  distress,  recklessly  gives  to  the  applicant  enough 
money  to  entirely  upset  his  domestic  economy,  and  to 
make  the  privation  of  to-morrow  the  harder  to  bear, 
because  of  the  plenty  of  to-day.  It  is  for  this  reason, 
and  because  I  always  believe  that  in  organizations  and 
institutions  the  judicious  expending  of  the  funds  entrusted 
to  its  officers  is  of  paramount  importance,  that  I  often 
wish  it  were  possible  for  me  to  head  a  crusade,  which 
would  find  followers  in  all  the  world,  against  careless  and 
unthinking  charity. 

Surely,  then,  the  wise  administration  of  the  alms  of 
those  who  give  is  a  mission  worthy  of  Mrs.  Jellyby 


WOMAN'S  PLACE  IN  CHARITABLE  WORK — NAVRA.    165 

herself.  Yet  we  women  who  have  laughed  at  that  clever 
caricature  have  sympathized  sweetly  with  the  absorbing 
interest  of  this  poor  enthusiast  in  the  savages  of  Bor- 
rioboola  Gha,  while  the  members  of  her  own  household 
were  even  wilder  and  more  uncivilized.  This  involun- 
tarily reminds  me  that  it  might  be  well  for  us  all  to 
remember  that  there  is  a  place  for  women  in  the  "  Char- 
ity which  begins  at  home,"  and  that  those  who  have 
really  filled  the  highest  place  in  the  world's  work,  are 
the  women  who  never  permit  a  conflict  between  the  duty 
that  lies  within  and  that  which  is  without  their  gate. 
If,  then,  there  is  one  woman  who  has  listened  to  me 
to-day  who  will  carry  home  with  her,  among  the  many 
souvenirs  of  this  more  than  marvelous  exposition,  one 
little  thought,  uttered  from  out  of  the  fullness  of  my  heart, 
may  it  be  this:  when  she  rejoices  in  the  pre-eminence  of 
woman  in  charitable  work  to-day,  let  her  feel  that  she  is 
in  the  position  of  guide  to  those  who  give  carelessly,  and 
let  her  remember  always  to  ascertain  the  wants  as  well 
as  the  position  of  the  applicant.  Also,  that  absorbing 
as  outside  work  may  be,  there  is  a  duty  that  lies  nearer, 
the  one  which  must  be  fulfilled  to  those  dear  to  us, 
whose  claims  are  undeniable.  Then,  too,  hidden  from 
others,  there  is  a  sanctuary  within  our  souls,  at  the 
shrine  of  which  we  lay  our  sacrifices,  and  it  is  then  that 
we  remember  that  there  is  a  charity  which  speaketh  no 
evil  and  thinketh  none.  This  truth  exemplified  in 
noble  lives  has  done  more  than  anything  else  to  keep 
bright  the  halo  that  surrounds  the  figure  of  Charity — 
for 

"  In  Faith  and  Hope  the  world  will  disagree, 
But  all  mankind's  concern  is  Charity." 


WEDNESDAY,  SEPTEMBER  6,  1893,  8.30  p.  M. 
The  interest  in  this  evening's  session  was  so  great  that 
it  was  found  necessary  to  hold  an  overflow  meeting  in 
another  hall,  over  which  Mrs.  H.  Frank  presided,  and  at 
which  all  the  papers  read  in  Hall  7,  the  usual  meeting 
place,  were  repeated. 


ADDRESS. 


HANNAH  G.  SOLOMON,  CHAIRMAN. 


In  the  first  days  of  the  week,  I  had  decided  to  say  a 
few  words  of  welcome  to  the  fathers  and  brothers  who 
might  attend  this  evening's  session.  But  so  generous 
has  been  their  attendance  during  the  week  that  words 
of  welcome  are  superfluous.  But  one  thing  I  will  say, 
and  that  is,  that  if  there  is  one  lesson  more  beautiful 
than  all  others  which  Israel  has  taught  the  world,  it  is 
that  of  the  position  of  woman.  Love  for  the  mother, 
devotion  to  the  wife,  sacrifices  for  the  children,  these 
stamp  Israel  of  all  times  as  a  civilized  nation.  And  if 
this  week  we  have  been  spelling  "Jewish  Woman  "  with 
a  capital  "  J  "  and  a  capital  "  W,"  it  is  not  less  true  that 
we  believe  you  all  capital  fellows.  It  is  not  vain-glor- 
iously,  or  in  a  spirit  of  boasting  that  we  have  been  rum- 
maging the  pages  of  history  for  the  illustrious  daughters 
of  Judah,  nor  do  we  strive  to  shine  by  reflected  light. 
But  we  have  come  to  teach  and  to  learn.  In  the  pages 
of  history,  in  the  lives  of  the  heroes  and  heroines,  the 
destinies  and  possibilities  of  a  people  are  written.  In 
them,  we  have  been  trying  to  discover  ideals  for  ourselves, 

our  daughters  and  granddaughters. 

(166) 


ADDRESS — SOLOMON.  167 

I  hope  I  shall  not  be  too  severely  taken  to  taskr  for 
saying  that  I  am  proud  of  the  record  made  by  Jewish 
women  during  the  past  week.  I  am  proud  of  the  ear- 
nestness shown,  best  attested  by  the  facts  that  all  our 
essayists,  with  one  exception,  were  here  to  read  their 
own  papers,  and  that  our  delegates  have  come  from  the 
remotest  points  to  be  with  us;  proud  of  the  unselfish- 
ness of  the  women;  of  the  lack  of  vanity  shown  by  the 
women  of  our  city,  who  left  every  place  in  the  pro- 
gramme to  the  women  of  other  cities,  accepting  only 
the  places  left.  All  this,  I  think,  argues  well  for 
the  woman-soul  of  the  future  that  is  to  lead  "  upward 
and  on." 


PRESENTATION   OF  THE   HYMN   BOOK. 


E.  FRANK. 


MRS.  PRESIDENT,  LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN  : 

When  first  the  subject  of  a  religious  congress  was 
spoken  of,  the  idea  suggested  itself  to  a  few  of  our  ardent 
workers  that  no  more  fitting  time  or  opportunity  would 
ever  present  itself  for  the  revival  of  our  forgotten  and 
scattered  hymns  than  at  this  first  Jewish  Women's  Con- 
gress. That  it  is  peculiarly  woman's  sphere  to  introduce 
divine  and  sacred  music  into  the  household  is  self-evident; 
why  should  not  we,  then,  deem  it  a  duty  to  become 
familiar  with  the  beautiful  echoes  of  the  past  and  the 
histories  that  surround  them? 

It  is  an  admitted  fact  that  many  of  our  co-religionists 
have  created  the  most  beautiful  and  sublime  works  in  the 
world  of  sound ;  is  it  possible  that  the  music  in  connec- 
tion with  the  divine  service  is  of  an  inferior  quality  ? 
No ;  and  yet  we  have  searched  so  little  for  its  beauties. 
I  believe  the  main  reason  for  this  lack  of  knowledge  has 
been  the  want  of  some  book  to  bring  it  to  us  in  an  easy 
and  intelligent  manner,  and  I  am  sure  the  compilers  of 
our  Memorial  Book  have  accomplished  this  end.  Let 
these  songs  be  heard,  and  they  will  need  no  praise  to 
recommend  them  to  you. 

To  many,  these  revised  melodies  will  bring  memories 
of  the  sweet  and  pathetic  incidents  of  their  past  lives, 
when,  surrounded  by  those  who  have  long  since  departed, 
they  knew  no  greater  pleasure  than  to  make  their  Sab- 
baths and  other  holidays  perfect  so  far  as  their  simple 
mode  of  living  allowed.  A  feeling  of  reverence  and 

(168) 


PRESENTATION  OF  THE  HYMN  BOOK — K.  FRANK.  169 

piety  is  with  us  as  we  gaze  on  these  pictures  of  the  past, 
and  why  must  the  sentiment  of  the  old  be  thrust  aside 
for  the  rush  and  hurly-burly  of  the  present  ?  We  have 
always  been  called  a  people  of  sentiment,  though  we 
must  refute  statements  that  attribute  to  us  merely  senti- 
ment without  ability  to  act. 

Music  fostered  and  sung  on  all  occasions  can  lead  us 
to  the  greatest  of  deeds,  and  then,  when  within  our  heart 
of  hearts  we  feel  that  we  are  doing  our  best,  what  care 
we  whether  "  sentiment "  is  still  said  to  be  the  main 
feature  of  our  individuality  ? 

In  our  new  and  easy  methods  of  teaching  in  the  Sab- 
bath School,  it  has  been  found  unwise  and  unnecessary  to 
bother  the  children  with  the  study  of  Hebrew,  but  music, 
the  language  understood  by  young  and  old  the  world 
over,  must  not  be  buried,  and  let  us  hope  that  our  book 
will  fulfil  its  mission,  and  every  home  give  it  a  welcome. 

"  Music!    Oh,  how  faint,  how  weak 

Language  fades  before  thy  spell! 
Why  should  Feeling  ever  speak, 

When  thou  canst  breathe  her  soul  so  well  ? 
Friendship's  balmy  words  may  feign, 

I/ove's  are  even  more  false  than  they  ; 
Oh  !  'tis  only  music's  strain 

Can  sweetly  soothe,  and  not  betray." 


MISSION-WORK    AMONG    THE    UNENLIGHT- 
ENED JEWS. 


MINNIE  D.  Louis,  NEW  YORK, 

"  Open  thy  inouth,  judge  righteously,  and  plead  the 
cause  of  the  poor  and  needy." 

If  I  am  a  part  of  all  nature,  if  I  contain  a  part  of  the 
universal  soul,  or  as  Emerson  says,  if  "  the  soul  needed 
me  as  an  organ  to  contain  it,"  then  am  I  one  with  the 
beautiful  golden-tinted  clouds  that  float  in  such  blissful 
contentment;  then  am  I  one  with  the  torturing,  crush- 
ing, darkening  evil  that  drags  down  to  the  depths  of 
nakedness  within  and  without. 

Everything  in  the  universe  that  fulfils  its  purpose, 
ultimately  reaches  upward;  even  what  is  matured  under 
the  earth's  surface  has  no  value  till  it  climbs  up  into  the 
light;  the  soul,  as  part  of  the  universe,  partakes  of  this 
same  upward  tendency.  If  by  some  chance  it  should  be 
dragged  down,  it  matters  not  if  it  be  in  my  body  or  in 
another,  it  is  part  of  me,  and  I  cannot  be  relieved  from 
the  pain  of  its  dragging,  until  I  lift  it  up,  and  gird  it 
with  strength  that  it  may  freely  ascend  into  the  hill  of 
the  rejoicing  ones  of  the  earth.  This  is  the  very  essence 
of  mission-work. 

Our  Jewish  history  teems  with  records  of  such  under- 
standing and  fulfilment  of  life's  purpose,  both  through 
religious  propagandism  and  organized  effort  for  the 
enlightenment  and  elevation  of  a  community.  The 
passage  in  our  Bible,  "  The  poor  shall  never  cease  out 
of  thy  land,"  is  an  ever-present  mentor,  its  utterance 

(170) 


MISSION  WORK. — Louis.  171 

growing  into  a  louder  and  louder  prophecy  that  fills 
men's  hearts  with  fear  and  trembling,  making  mission- 
work  tower  in  men's  minds  as  a  barrier  of  defense. 

We  lightly  say  that  fashion  incites  it;  that  because 
some  known  accumulators  of  wealth  bring  their  tres- 
pass-offerings to  charity's  altar  in  endowments  for  her 
institutions,  and  contribute  toward  various  modes  of 
relief,  and  affect  a  concern  about  the  condition  of  the 
poor  as  officers  and  patrons  of  communal  societies,  a  pre- 
cedent is  established  for  the  socially  ambitious  to  fol- 
low. But  it  is  something  deeper  than  a  mere  fad;  it  is 
a  real  concern;  there  is  an  actual  apprehension  that  the 
social  body  is  diseased,  and  that  the  virus  may  be  com- 
municated to  any  spot,  and  cause  destruction;  and  beside 
this,  there  is,  in  some,  an  wwworded,  yet  sure  knowledge, 
that  "if  in  thy  wicked  heart,  thou  sayest,  The  seventh 
year,  the  year  of  release,  is  at  hand,  and  thine  eye  be 
evil  against  thy  poor  brother,  and  thou  givest  him 
naught;  he  will  cry  unto  the  Lord  against  thee,  and  it 
will  be  sin  unto  thee." 

Like  a  stream  that  flows  with  more  volume  and  swift- 
ness as  it  approaches  its  mouth,  gathering  in  its  current 
a  constantly  accumulating  mass  of  floating  matter,  so 
this  century  is  plunging  down  into  the  sea  of  time, 
whirling  along,  in  its  torrent,  all  the  busy,  burning 
thoughts  of  men;  and  this  hurrying  flow  draws  the 
people  to  the  shore  to  anxiously  watch  it,  and  snatch 
therefrom  what  is  valuable,  before  it  is  swept  into  the 
unsearchable  depths  of  that  ever  broadening  sea.  We 
have  come  to  watch  mission-work,  and  take  from  it  what 
seems  to  us  best. 

See !  the  claims  of  the  far-away  savage  heathen  that, 
for  so  many  centuries,  monopolized  the  efforts  of  the 
zealous,  are  no  longer  paramount.  "  Borrioboola  Gha  " 
has  been  supplanted  by  "  Whitechapel,"  "  Mulberry 


172  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Bend,"  and  the  nearest  district  tenements.  Instead  of 
the  outward-bound  ship  with  its  cargo  of  beads  and 
trinkets  and  gay  calicoes  and  missals,  unfurling  the  Con- 
stantine  banner,  see  the  "  People's  Palace,"  the  "  Uni- 
versity Settlement,"  "  Hull  House,"  spread  their  buoyant 
pennons  at  our  street  corners;  instead  of  the  sacrament 
given  to  wondering,  half-dressed,  tawny  natives  in  a 
distant  land,  see  libraries,  club-rooms,  lecture-halls,  trade- 
shops,  given  to  wondering,  half-dressed,  pale-skinned 
natives  in  our  own  towns. 

But  what  have  we  Jews  to  do  with  this?  Mission- 
work  has  never  been  with  us  of  such  a  character  that 
transformations  like  those  must  in  rerum  natura  occur; 
what  we  know  of  the  missions  of  Abraham,  Moses, 
Samuel  and  Nehemiah,  are  to  us  such  ideals  of  effort  in 
behalf  of  our  suffering  brethren  that  they  serve  as 
models  for  all  time.  It  is  true,  since  our  denationaliza- 
tion other  peoples  have  so  emphasized  the  proselytizing 
motive  in  mission-work,  that  we  eschewed  every  consid- 
eration of  the  phrase;  now  that  it  has  assumed  a  broader 
scope,  compatible  with  the  Jewish  conception  of  human- 
itarian endeavor,  we  no  longer  hesitate  to  characterize 
our  own  philanthropic  work  as  such,  and  even  follow  the 
trend  of  popular  method. 

I  do  not  propose  to  discourse  upon  "Mission-work 
among  the  Unenlightened  Jews  "  statistically,  to  give  the 
number  of  organizations  enlisted  for  it,  with  the  amounts 
received  and  expended  therefor;  but  rather  to  explore  the 
work,  dig  deep  into  the  soil  to  discover  the  accumulated 
obstructions  thrust  in  by  religious  and  social  persecu- 
tion— of  which  we  Jews  share  some  of  the  guilt — and 
venture  an  opinion  as  to  how  they  might  be  removed. 
And  to  do  this,  I  trust  I  may  be  permitted  to  cite  New 
York  City  in  illustration  of  its  greatest  need  and  the 
remedies  already  applied.  We  know  that  throughout 


MISSION  WORK. — IvOins.  173. 

.southeastern  Europe  and  Syria,  the  "Alliance  Israelite 
Universelle,"  within  the  past  thirty-three  years,  and  the 
"  Anglo-Jewish  Association,"  within  the  past  twenty-two 
years,  have  established  most  successfully  their  secular, 
religious  and  industrial  schools,  which  number  fifty-eight 
primary  schools,  and  twenty-seven  workshops  or  indus- 
trial schools  for  both  boys  and  girls;  and  that  the  "  Anglo- 
Jewish  Association,"  in  connection  with  the  "Jewish 
Colonization  Society,"  is  pursuing  a  scheme  of  coloniza- 
tion, whereby  indigent  Jews  from  every  part  of  the  world 
may  achieve  their  regeneration  mainly  through  agricul- 
tural labors  (a  scheme  much  less  bruited,  less  complicated 
than  General  Booth's,  yet  equally  comprehensive);  and 
we  know  that  throughout  this  country,  wherever  the 
unfortunate  of  our  people  have  sought  refuge,  the  most 
generous  assistance  has  been  provided,  yet  in  no  place 
are  their  needs  so  great  as  in  New  York  City. 

The  Jewish  arrivals  in  that  port  from  1885  to  July  i, 
1893,  aggregate  285,894,  of  whom,  up  to  January  i,  1893, 
205,416  were  exiled  Russians.*  These  people  naturally 
gravitate  toward  the  central  body  of  their  compatriots 
already  residing  there,  chiefly  in  the  Tenth  Ward.  This 
ward  is  the  most  densely  populated  area  in  the  world, 
averaging  25,000  people  to  the  acre.  When  one  hears 
that  one  double  tenement  house  contains  297  tenants, 
one  can  conceive  somewhat  of  the  crowding.  In  a  house 
in  Essex  street,  which  I  visited  some  time  ago,  the  build- 
ing, front  and  rear,  was  occupied  by  fifty-two  families, 
composed  of  from  three  to  ten  members,  besides  an  almost 
equal  number  of  lodgers.  An  ordinance  of  the  Health 
Board  demands  that  "  400  cubic  feet  of  air-space  shall  be 
provided  or  allowed  for  each  bed  or  lodger,"  but  the  rents 
are  so  grinding  upon  these  tenants,  that  the  larger  the 

*  Statistics  furnished  by  Hon.  A.  S.  Solomons,  General  Agent  of  the 
Baron  de  Hirsch  Fund  Committee. 


174  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

family,  the  greater  the  need  of  the  $3.00  or  $5.00  per 
month  from  the  lodger,  harbored  in  defiance  of  the  law. 
This  overcrowding,  humanely,  if  not  wisely  winked 
at  by  the  authorities,  who  know  that  enforcement  of  this 
law  means  eviction  for  non-rent,  is  the  promoter  of  a 
greater  evil,  the  immorality  of  the  young.  Where,  for 
instance,  seven  people  sleep  in  a  room,  say  14x14, 
which  is  used  for  all  living  purposes,  there  can  be  no 
privacy;  and  where  modesty  is  uncurtained,  virtue  is  in 
danger.  But  the  real  source  of  this  evil  is  the  cupidity 
of  the  landlords,  which  encourages  this  huddling.  Most 
of  them,  having  been  former  tenants  in  that  locality, 
and  having  made  their  money  through  industry  and 
saving,  know,  from  long  observation,  that  the  most 
advantageous  investment  is  a  tenement-house,  which 
yields  a  large  and  sure  and  speedy  income.  Usually 
domiciling  themselves  in  it,  often  serving  as  its  house- 
keepers, they  hover  hawk-like  over  their  tenants,  lest 
there  be  tardiness  in  the  payment  of  the  dues;  every 
closet  is  taxed  for  its  quota  of  revenue;  two  of  these 
with  one  fair-sized  room  constitute  an  apartment,  and 
such  apartments  range  in  price  from  $7.50  to  $16.00 
per  month,  and  are  seldom  repaired  or  improved,  except 
under  threat  of  the  law.  This  condition,  of  course, 
applies  to  the  older  houses,  which  predominate,  though 
the  beguiling  exterior  of  the  new  ones  reveals  a  still 
condemnable  interior.  Very  recently,  a  thrifty  woman, 
with  five  children,  whose  husband,  a  cloak-maker,  has 
been  out  of  employment  for  months — he  is  a  non-union 
man — in  distress  about  her  rent,  came  to  me.  She  had 
recently  moved  from  Ludlow  street  to  Brooklyn,  reduc- 
ing her  rent  from  $13.00  to  $7.00.  Her  former  land- 
lord exacted  his  payment  whether  or  not  they  had  work, 
or  whether  or  not  they  had  food.  She  said,  if  she  had 
to  beg,  she  would  not  do  it  for  the  landlord,  so  moved 


MISSION  WORK. — Louis.  175 

where  rent  was  cheaper,  but  work  scarcer.  Our  "  United 
Hebrew  Charities  "  essays  to  meet  the  emergency  of  dis- 
possessed tenants,  but  any  institution  would  soon  be 
bankrupt,  if  acceding  to  every  appeal. 

This  matter  of  rent,  which  absorbs  all  the  energies  of 
the  poor  working-class,  while  it  fattens  the  greedy  land- 
lords, is  an  important  consideration  in  mission- work; 
regarding  it,  the  landlords  are  the  ones  to  whom 
reformatory  effort  should  be  directed.  All  laws  are 
made  fundamentally  for  the  benefit  of  all  people  under 
their  jurisdiction;  and  while  some  may  object  to  the 
so-called  "  government  paternalism  "  in  what  I  am  about 
to  advance,  it  is,  nevertheless,  the  first  duty  of  a  govern- 
ment to  protect  its  people  from  all  manner  of  oppression. 

A  law  to  assess  dwelling-house  property  at  its  intrinsic 
value,  with  a  fixed  percentage  for  rent,  all  demanded 
above  the  fixed  percentage  being  made  confiscate  to  the 
government,  would  soon  regulate  the  rent  scheme  to  the 
satisfaction  of  every  one  but  the  owners.  The  venality 
that  such  a  measure  would  induce  would  be  guarded 
against  by  the  unavoidable  requirement  that  the  assess- 
ments for  taxation  and  the  assessments  for  rent  must 
tally;  each  would  serve  as  a  balance  sheet  against  the 
other,  and  honesty  be  ensured,  nolens  volens.  While  the 
strict  construction  of  our  constitutions,  both  State  and 
federal,  would  render  such  a  proposition  impracticable 
at  present,  inasmuch  as  constitutions  have  been  amended, 
in  .the  past,  in  answer  to  the  louder  cry  for  liberty,  so 
they  may  be  in  the  future.  As  mission- work  is  to-day 
the  greatest  factor  in  the  legalized  amelioration  of  social 
abuses,  it  is  quite  within  the  province  of  the  law  to 
effect  this  one. 

The  condition  of  the  houses  within  the  financial  range 
of  the  poor  is  a  mighty  agent  in  aggravating  all  the 
offences  of  their  poverty.  The  homoeopathic  supply  of 


176  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

air,  light  and  water  affords  no  recuperation  to  their 
fatigued  bodies,  and  while  we  admonish  the  miserable 
tenants  to  keep  their  apartments  clean,  we  must  admit 
that,  with  all  our  philosophy,  we  would  deem  the  same 
circumstances  for  ourselves  most  extenuating,  in  case  of 
our  derelictions.  When  the  children  clamor  for  food, 
and  there  is  no  prospect  of  a  day's  work  to  furnish  the 
wherewithal,  when  the  father's  coat,  the  feather  pillows, 
the  Sabbath-eve  brass  candlesticks  have  all  been  pawned 
to  still  the  hungry  mouths,  can  we  wonder  that  no  ambi- 
tion is  aroused  to  keep  the  dismal  apartment  in  proper 
condition  ?  And  while  we  condemn  the  filth  that  gains, 
we  partly  condone  the  negligence  of  the  wretched  house- 
wife, to  whom  life  is  all  a  sunless,  dingy  corner.  And 
here  is  where  the  mission-worker  must  be  a  law  unto 
him  or  herself.  Encouragement  to  brace  up  against 
misfortune,  a  loan  of  money  to  provide  food,  the  effort 
to  obtain  employment  for  the  workers  in  the  family,  the 
supply  of  a  few  cleaning  implements,  with  assistance  to 
most  pleasingly  distribute  the  sparse  furniture,  and 
above  all,  cheery  words  of  sympathy,  and  repeated 
visits, — these  make  up  part  of  the  routine  practiced  by 
our  "  Sisterhoods  of  Personal  Service,"  the  "  Volunteer 
Corps  of  Friendly  Visitors  to  the  Tenth  Ward,"  and  the 
institution  with  which  I  am  connected,  the  "  Louis 
Down  Town  Sabbath  and  Daily  School."  The  newest 
organization  to  undertake  this  work  adds  to  the  above 
routine  daily  house-to-house  visiting,  and  nursing  of  the 
sick  discovered  in  their  rounds.  It  is  known  as  "  Visit- 
ing Trained  Nurses  under  the  auspices  of  the  Health 
Board,"  and  all  leading  Jewish  and  Christian  communal 
societies  have  subventioned  it;  it  is  supported  by  a  Jew- 
ish lady  and  a  Jewish  gentleman  of  New  York  City,* 

*  Mrs.  Solomon  Loeb  and  the  Hon.  Jacob  H.  Schiff.  The  nurses 
•who  have,  with  beautiful  devotion,  initiated  the  work,  are  Lillian  D. 
Wald  and  Mary  Maud  Brewster.  The  scheme  is  an  outgrowth  of  the 
"  Louis  Down  Town  Sabbath  and  Daily  School." 


MISSION  WORK. — Louis.  177 

but  anticipates  becoming  a  municipal  institution.  But 
the  most  strenuous  efforts  to  maintain  cleanliness  in 
these  rookeries,  where  "  the  three  D's,  Dirt,  Discomfort 
and  Disease  "  hold  high  carnival,  cannot  be  so  effectual 
as  the  complete  incineration  of  them.  In  a  report  of 
Sir  Moses  Montefiore,  relative  to  his  visit  to  the  Holy 
Land  in  1866  to  apply  the  "  Holy  Land  Relief  Fund," 
he  says:  "  It  seems  to  have  become  the  settled  opinion 
of  those  to  whom  England  would  point  as  the  men  of 
the  highest  intellect,  and  the  greatest  experience  and 
zeal  in  the  cause  of  humanity,  that  the  wisest  scheme 
for  being  at  the  same  time  useful  and  charitable  to  the 
poor,  is  to  be  found  in  the  erection,  maintenance  and 
improvement  of  dwelling-houses."  As  early  as  1823, 
he  "  presented  the  synagogue  with  an  estate  of  thirteen 
houses  in  Cock  Court,  Jewry  street,  on  the  condition 
that  the  rents  arising  during  five  years  should  form  a 
repairing  fund,  and  then  the  dwellings  should  be  occu- 
pied by  deserving  poor." 

The  progress,  the  redemption  of  man,  in  every  sense, 
depend  upon  his  education,  the  standard,  self-conceived 
or  inculcated,  that  he  strives  to  attain;  no  "  trolley " 
contrivance  can  accelerate  it  in  its  prescribed  path;  by 
slow  degrees  the  ideas  unfold,  the  objectionable  is  aban- 
doned, and  the  secure  causeway  laid  for  further  advance. 
Education  to-day  is  the  main  instrument  of  the  mission- 
worker.  The  last  annual  report  of  the  "Anglo-Jewish 
Association  "  contains  the  following:  "Amid  all  the  omi- 
nous sounds  of  ill-will  against  the  Jews  which  fill  the 
air  at  this  latter  end  of  the  nineteenth  century,  there  is 
one  department  of  work  which  offers  the  best  antidote 
to  anti-semitism,  viz.,  the  education  of  Jewish  children." 
The  Jewish  community  of  New  York  City  is  fully  awake 
to  this  fact,  as  is  testified  by  the  existence  of  the  follow- 
ing schools,  all  under  charitable  maintenance: 


1 78  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Evening  classes  of  the  "  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Asso- 
ciation." 

Evening  classes  of  the  "  Young  Women's  Hebrew 
Association." 

Evening  classes  of  the  "  Friendly  "  and  the  "  Pansey  " 
Club. 

"  Hebrew  Technical  Institute,"  for  boys. 

Industrial  School  of  the  United  Hebrew  Charities,  for 
girls. 

Kindergartens  and  Industrial  Schools  of  the  Hebrew 
Free  School  Association,  for  boys  and  girls. 

Kindergarten  and  Industrial  School  of  the  "  Bikur 
Cholim  "  Society,  for  girls. 

Kindergartens  of  the  five  Sisterhoods  of  Personal  Ser- 
vice. 

Kindergarten  of  the  "  Shearith  Israel  "  Congregation. 

"  Louis  Down  Town  Sabbath  and  Daily  Technical 
School,"  for  girls. 

Mrs.  Ehrich's  kindergarten  in  Allen  street. 

Miss  Opper's  Russian  night  school,  for  boys. 

Preparatory  English  Classes,  and  Evening  and  Trade 
Schools  of  the  "  Baron  de  Hirsch  Fund  "  Committee. 

The  majority  of  these  efforts  is  directed  to  the  Tenth 
Ward. 

The  most  recently  adopted  methods  for  those  above 
fourteen  years  of  age  are  weekly  entertainments  given 
by  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  culture,  and  weekly  instruct- 
ive lectures  on  the  history  and  government  of  the  United 
States,  which  the  "  Hebrew  Institute  " — the  representa- 
tive building  of  the  "  Hebrew  Free  School  Association," 
the  "Aguilar  Free  Library,"  and  the  '•'  Young  Men's 
Hebrew  Association  " — provided  during  the  past  year; 
and  loan  exhibitions  of  fine  art,  which  the  "  University- 
Settlement  "  presented.  These  are  commendable,  but 
they  will  fail  in  their  purpose,  if  the  people  who  are  to 


MISSION  WORK — Louis.  179 

profit  by  them  are  to  be  continually  relegated  to  their 
original  surroundings.  Their  foreign  language  and  cus- 
toms are  their  most  flagrant  offenses  here,  and  as  long  as 
they  are  permitted  to  transplant  their  section  of  Poland, 
Russia,  or  Roumania  to  a  certain  area  on  this  soil,  it  is 
still  the  old  country,  though  ostensibly  America.  Envi- 
ronment is  the  first  educator;  and  until  the  legions  of 
the  Tenth  Ward  can  be  decimated  by  distribution 
throughout  the  city  or  elsewhere,  where  their  character- 
istics can  become  modified  by  other  environment,  much 
of  educational  effort  amongst  them  will  be  unresponsive. 
The  "  Baron  de  Hirsch  Fund  Committee,"  the  "  United 
Hebrew  Charities,"  and  the  "  Volunteer  Corps  of  Friendly 
Visitors  to  the  Tenth  Ward,"  essay  to  transport  them, 
the  first  two  to  the  colonies  in  New  Jersey  and  Connecti- 
cut and  to  other  parts  of  the  United  States;  the  latter 
society  only  to  the  upper  parts  of  the  city.  But  the 
little  thinning  out  they  can  do  is  infinitesimal.  Larger 
organization  is  necessary.  The  status  of  this  newly 
released  community  here  is  analogous  to  that  of  the 
returned  captives  from  Babylonia  to  Judaea;  and  even  at 
this  remote  date,  the  sagacious  action  of  Nehemiah  in 
dividing  the  area  apportioned  to  them  into  small  dis- 
tricts, and  in  placing  over  each  a  worthy,  able  and  con- 
scientious officer  to  maintain  order  and  manage  their 
affairs,  is  most  suggestive.  Can  we  not  think  that  sim- 
ilar precautions  might  have  averted  the  recent  outbreaks 
among  our  unemployed,  easily  inflamed  brethren,  to 
whom  liberty  is  so  new  that  they  do  not  yet  know  how 
to  handle  it  ? 

To  return  to  the  educational  processes.  Where  the 
tendency  is  largely  toward  entertainment  specially  pro- 
vided, it  is  apt  to  engender  a  pruriency  for  culture  that 
can,  with  circumscribed  opportunities,  be  gratified  by 
only  an  imitation  of  it.  Mr.  Ruskin  says:  "  Sure  good 


i8o  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

is  first  in  feeding  people,  then  in  dressing  people,  then 
in  lodging  people,  and  lastly  in  rightly  pleasing  people, 
with  arts,  or  sciences,  or  any  other  subject  of  thought." 
He  says  further,  if  every  effort  were  made  "  to  enforce 
the  organization  of  vast  activities  in  agriculture  and 
commerce,  for  the  production  of  the  wholesomest  food, 
and  the  proper  storing  and  distribution  of  it,  so  that  no 
starving  shall  any  more  be  possible  among  civilized 
beings,"  ....  if  every  means  were  tried  whereby  "  the 
children  within  your  sphere  of  influence  shall  no  more 
be  brought  up  with  careless  habits  of  person  and  dress," 
.  ...  if  every  effort  were  made  to  obtain  "vigorous 
legislation  and  cutting  down  of  vested  interests  that 
stand  in  the  way  of  proper  lodgment,"  and  this  pursued 
"  till  we  are  breathless,  every  day,  all  the  fine  arts  will 
healthily  follow.  .  .  .  And  out  of  such  exertion  in  plain 
duty,  all  other  good  will  come;  you  will  find  nearly 
every  educational  problem  solved,  as  soon  as  you  truly 
want  to  do  something." 

Several  years  of  personal  knowledge,  and  concentra- 
tion of  thought  on  the  subject  of  improving  the  intel- 
lectual condition  of  our  unenlightened  Jews  have  not 
yet  privileged  me  to  affix  to  the  problem,  quod  erat  dem- 
onstrandum. Every  girl  who  has  caught  the  infection 
of  culture  from  the  grand  dames  who  cater  to  her  amuse- 
ment rather  disdains  plain,  homely  labor ;  she  aspires  to 
nothing  less  than  to  be  a  stenographer  or  a  school  teacher. 
It  requires  at  least  four  generations  of  culture  to  mold 
the  teachers  who  are  to  give  proper  direction  to  the  soul- 
growth  of  our  young;  and  certainly  the  phraseology 
requisite  for  a  competent  stenographer  is  dependent  on 
the  facile  use  of  correct  language,  which  is  acquired  as 
much  through  association  as  study;  this  unfitness, 
although  disclaimed,  makes  the  poor  Jewish  girl  a  type 
of  unskilled  labor.  Of  course,  there  are  gratifying  and 


MISSION  WORK — Louis.  181 

noble  exceptions  to  this  rule;  but  I  think  it  is  timely  to 
direct  the  attention  of  the  mission-worker  to  the  inor- 
dinate and  incongruous  aspiration  of  the  young  through 
following  many  of  the  present  methods.  Mr.  Zangwill 
says:  "  People  who  have  been  living  in  a  Ghetto  for  a 
couple  of  centuries,  are  not  able  to  step  outside  merely 
because  the  gates  are  thrown  down,  nor  to  efface  the 
brands  on  their  souls  by  putting  off  the  yellow  badges." 
The  reaction  from  the  long  isolation  is  visible  in  every 
degree  of  push  and  ostentation,  and  is  a  phase  of  the 
injury  so  long  endured,  and  must  be  judiciously  treated 
by  the  mission-worker. 

In  contradistinction  to  the  indiscretion  of  elevating 
the  unenlightened  Jews  too  suddenly  into  an  unaccus- 
tomed atmosphere  of  culture — Moses  kept  them  in  the 
wilderness  till  the  older  generations  had  entirely  passed 
away — there  is  the  danger  of  unwittingly  aiding  them 
to  keep  in  the  depths  of  degrading  pauperism.  Mr. 
Zangwill  says  again,  in  his  proem  to  "  The  Children  of 
the  Ghetto:"  "  The  beggar  felt  no  false  shame  in  his  beg- 
ging. He  knew  it  was  the  rich  man's  duty  to  give  him 
unleavened  bread  on  Passover,  and  coals  in  winter,  and 
odd  half-crowns  at  all  seasons;  and  he  regarded  himself 
as  the  Jacob's  ladder  by  which  the  rich  man  mounted  to 
Paradise."  This  class  is  not  yet  extinct;  it  flourishes  in 
the  Tenth  Ward  of  New  York  City,  its  pathetic  woes 
ever  intensified  by  increasing  numbers.  The  fathers 
seldom  make  the  appeal;  the  peddler's  box  or  the  push- 
cart withholds  their  dignity  from  such  humiliation;  but 
the  wives  and  the  children  are  faithful  and  energetic 
ambassadors,  whose  smiles  and  tears  are  ready  accesso- 
ries to  their  pleading. 

In  accordance  with  the  growing  method  of  the  scien- 
tific application  of  relief,  which  precludes  response  to 
an  appeal  before  official  investigation  has  been  made,  we 


182  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

are  teaching  ourselves  to  deliberate,  inducing  a  scepticism 
of  declared  wants  that  is  usually  unjust  Very  recently, 
during  the  struggle  for  existence  occasioned  by  the 
present  paralysis  of  labor,  a  Jewish  woman  in  the  Tenth 
Ward,  who  for  two  days  was  without  food,  each  day 
placed  her  cooking  vessels  filled  with  only  water  on 
her  oil  stove,  to  induce  the  belief  that  she  was  pre- 
paring her  customary  meals.  And  yet  various  newspa- 
per reporters,  even  Jewish  male  investigators,  could 
find  no  case  of  starvation.  One  of  the  trained  nurses 
discovered  this  one.  We  were  taught  by  our  pious 
Jewish  mothers,  "  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters,"  and 
they  felt  sure  that  none  but  the  hungry  would  reach  out 
for  it. 

It  is  true  that  the  ceaseless  cry  for  help  demands  sys- 
tematic dispensing  of  charity  to  avoid  confusion  and 
error.  But  there  should  be  no  opportunity  to  beg.  "  If 
there  be  among  you  a  poor  man  of  any  of  thy  brethren, 
within  any  of  thy  gates  in  thy  land  which  the  Lord  thy 
God  giveth  thee,  thou  shalt  not  harden  thy  heart,  nor 
shut  thine  hand  from  thy  poor  brother.  But  thou  shalt 
open  thy  hand  wide  unto  him,  and  shalt  surely  tend  him 
sufficient  for  his  need,  in  that  which  he  wanteth."  Our 
bureaus  of  relief  for  any  kind  of  assistance,  monetary  or 
otherwise,  should  be  abrogated,  and  superseded  by  Co- 
operative Loan  Associations,  based  and  conducted  on 
the  strictest  business  principles,  their  benefits  accessible 
to  all,  the  charges  not  to  exceed,  but  rather  to  fall  under 
the  legal  rate  of  interest.  This  would  be  the  surest 
means  to  extirpate  beggary,  yet  help  a  man  in  his  direst 
need,  in  a  manly  way.  Such  a  project  is  not  at  all 
chimerical,  as  the  great  "  Monts-de-pie"t£  "  in  many  cities 
of  Europe  testify;  and  if  our  men  think  it  too  lillipu- 
tian  for  their  consideration,  I  would  suggest  that  our 
•vromen  ponder  it,  and  develop  it.  Whoever  has  been 


MISSION  WORK — L,OUK.  183 

besieged  by  the  poor  mothers  whose  families  are 
shuddering  under  the  Damocles'  sword  of  impending 
destitution  that  sickness  or  non-employment  of  their 
breadwinners  holds  over  them,  will  properly  estimate 
the  necessity  for  some  honorable  means  to  avert  the 
danger.  Certain  it  is,  our  present  methods  are  neither 
adequate  nor  just.  We  put  humanity  at  a  discount, 
and  then  wonder  that  it  becomes  depreciated. 

But  what  we  want  most  to  do  for  the  material  relief 
of  our  poor  is  to  busy  ourselves  with  the  proper  adjust- 
ments of  labor  and  capital,  the  regulation  of  schools  to 
the  equal  development  of  brain  and  handicraft,  and  the 
compulsory  attendance  of  every  eligible  pupil,  which 
must  all  be  effected  through  legislative  action.  And  we 
want  for  this,  legions  of  mission-workers  who  can  appre- 
ciate these  needs  from  personal  knowledge  of  the  condi- 
tions, and  who  will  not  stop  till  they  have  razed  the 
obstructions  to  equal  opportunity,  which  opens  the  gate 
to  all  true  progress. 

We  expect,  in  the  hoped  for  influence  of  our  most 
approved  philanthropy,  to  see  our  unenlightened  brethren 
speedily  divest  themselves  of  their  persecution-pampered 
ways,  and  appear  in  the  pleasing  garb  of  amenity  to  all 
the  leading  demands  of  our  present  culture;  we  do  find 
our  foreign  unenlightened  brethren  all  too  soon  becom- 
ing Americanized,  but  in  ways  we  did  not  calculate 
upon.  We  find  them  entering  our  prisons  to  such  an 
extent  that  necessity  has  arisen  for  the  latest  organiza- 
tion, the  "Society  for  the  Aid  of  Jewish  Prisoners." 
"This  fact  hath  raised  up  from  their  thrones  all  the 
kings  of  the  nations;  they  say  unto  thee,  Art  thou  also 
become  weak  as  we  ?  Art  thou  become  like  unto  us  ?  " 

We  do  not  want  so  much  to  Americanize  them  as  to 
Judaize  them,  or  rather  to  help  them  to  know  their  Juda- 
ism. Biit  who  amongst  us  are  the  enlightened  ones  to  go 


184  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

down  to  teach  them?  Are  the  unenlightened  only 
ainongst  the  poor  ?  And  are  all  the  poor  unenlightened  ? 
Mr.  Jacob  A.  Riis  tells  us  in  his  "  Children  of  the  Poor:  " 
"  It  happened  once  that  I  came  in  on  a  Friday  evening 
at  the  breaking  of  bread,  just  as  the  four  candles  on  the 
table  had  been  lit,  with  the  Sabbath  blessing  upon  the 
home  and  all  it  sheltered.  Their  light  fell  on  little  else 
than  empty  plates  and  anxious  faces;  but  in  the  patri- 
archal host  who  arose,  and  bade  the  guest  welcome  with 
a  dignity  a  king  might  have  envied,  I  recognized  with 
difficulty  the  humble  peddler  I  had  known  only  from 
the  street."  In  what  of  real  worth  are  we  wiser  or  better 
than  they  ?  We  glorify  the  Jew  while  we  almost  aban- 
don Judaism.  Like  Solomon  and  Hezekiah,  we  boast- 
fully show  our  treasures  to  the  world,  scarcely  guarding 
the  stronghold.  We  point  to  Moses  as  the  world's  purest 
type  of  intellectual  and  moral  grandeur,  and  yet  too 
many  of  us  deride  the  work  wherein  his  grandeur  lay; 
we  even  presume  to  say  that  his  wonderful  code,  except 
the  ten  commandments,  was  only  for  the  time  in  which 
he  lived.  Who  can  disprove  that  the  Sabbatical  year 
was  the  most  far-seeing  scheme  of  humanity  that  ever 
occurred  to  mortal?  Do  we  know  whether  if,  in  the 
seventh  year,  the  needy  were  entitled  to  all  the  over- 
plus in  the  fields  and  from  every  harvest,  poverty  and 
discontent  would  not  be  reduced  to  a  minimum  ?  We 
imitate  others,  and  we  do  not  know  what  powers  are 
in  ourselves,  and  how  we  may  still  show  mankind  the 
way  to  happiness.  Why  shall  we  not  now  awe  them, 
and  weaken  their  hands,  raised  against  us,  by  the  over- 
powering glory  of  our  righteousness,  which  we  must 
derive  from  our  Law?  By  our  rapid  heart-throbs  when 
we  hear  the  Jew  spoken  of,  in  praise  or  censure,  by  the 
quickening  current  of  intelligence  that  flashes  through 
our  brain  when  we  hear  our  God  spoken  of,  by  the  calm 


MISSION  WORK — Louis.  185 

mastery  that  possesses  us  when  we  hear  of  worldly 
strifes,  and  by  the  glad  response  in  our  soul  when  we 
hear  of  the  promised  universal  brotherhood,  we  feel  that 
we  have  been  chosen  to  guide  God's  ark  of  truth 
through  the  shoals  of  human  error;  though  too  often 
with  such  unreverential  Uzzah  hands  that  we  have  been 
smitten  down  beside  it.  Our  survival  is  a  marvel  to 
man;  do  we  not  recognize  the  will  of  the  Almighty  in 
it?  If  we  were  not  doomed  to  perish  with  the  buried 
nations  who  have  been  contemporaneous  with  us,  we 
must  have  something  to  do  in  the  world.  Why  are  we 
here  to-day,  strong  as  ever  in  our  physical  and  mental 
strength,  our  individuality  not  eliminated?  Surely  we 
have  a  trust;  yes,  we  have  the  grandest  mission  ever 
conceived:  "  I  the  Lord  have  called  thee  in  righteous- 
ness, and  will  hold  thine  hand,  and  will  keep  thee,  and 
give  thee  for  a  covenant  of  the  people,  for  a  light  of  the 
Gentiles;  to  open  the  blind  eyes,  to  bring  out  the  prison- 
ers from  the  prison,  and  them  that  sit  in  darkness  out  of 
the  prison-house."  But  before  we  can  lead  other  peoples 
to  the  pure  hill  of  the  Lord,  we  must  ourselves  be  pure; 
before  we  go  down  to  purge  the  infected  quarters,  we 
must  first  cleanse  ourselves.  We  must  put  away  the 
stranger's  gods — pomp  and  luxury — that  have  denied 
our  sanctuary.  Even  the  "  princes  of  the  captivity," 
those  men  whose  wisdom  is  an  inextinguishable  splendor, 
indulged  in  the  vanities  of  wealth;  and  though  "  absorbed 
in  the  task  of  upholding  the  Law  and  Jewish  life,"  took 
no  heed  of  the  Jewish  peasants,  who  drifted  into  a 
neglected  mental  and  moral  state.  Professor  Graetz 
says:  "  Thus  left  to  themselves  and  cut  off  from  the 
higher  classes  and  from  all  share  in  communal  life, 
without  a  leader  or  adviser,  the  peasants  easily  fell  under 
the  influence  of  young  Christianity."  And  when  we 
see  to-day  Christian  missions  springing  up  among  our 


1 86  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

neglected  Jews,  we  have  no  right  to  condemn  them;  it 
is  we  who  deserve  the  condemnation  for  unfaithfulness 
to  our  duty. 

As  the  mountains  pour  down  their  floods  irresistibly 
into  the  valleys,  impregnating  them  with  new,  beauti- 
ful life  and  vigor,  so,  if  we  fill  our  souls  from  the  foun- 
tains of  Judaism,  the  spirit  will  overflow,  and  descend 
to  the  low-lying  plains,  to  refresh  and  invigorate  into- 
new,  beautiful  life  our  wounded,  weak,  languishing 
brethren. 

You  Jewish  women  of  Chicago,  all  Israel  honors  you  T 
You  have  inaugurated  a  new  mission  of  enlightenment ! 
Like  unto  Samuel,  you  have  gathered  us  together  to 
unite  us,  that  we  may  gain  strength,  to  arouse  in  us  a 
thirst  for  better  knowledge  of  our  people  and  our  trust, 
with  a  more  loyal  allegiance  to  both,  through  which  we 
may  become  invested  with  that  holiness  that  will  make 
even  our  enemies  wish  to  worship  with  us. 

Oh  !  that  every  voice  here  might  become  a  prophet's 
voice  to  urge  us  on  to  the  redeeming  shore  !  And  every 
daughter  of  Israel  here  become  a  Miriam  to  sing  the 
song  of  triumph: — arrogance  and  ignorance,  vanity  and 
viciousness,  unfaithfulness  and  undoing  hath  He  thrown 
into  the  sea !  May  each  lead  the  forward  march,  under 
the  cloud-pillar  of  life's  duties  and  the  fire-pillar  of  God's 
glory,  into  the  promised  land  of  peace,  of  plenty  and  of 
blessing. 


MISSION-WORK  AMONG  THE  UNENLIGHT- 
ENED JEWS. 

(Discussion  of  Ike  foregoing  paper. ) 


REBEKAH  KOHUT,  NEW  YORK. 


The  subject  so  ably  treated  by  my  friend,  Mrs.  Louis, 
happily  fell  to  her  lot,  for  I  doubt  whether  a  Jewess  in 
this  broad  land  can  claim  that  pioneer  knowledge  and 
experience  which  undoubtedly  belong  to  her,  whose 
name  is  a  household  word  in  connection  with  educa- 
tional work,  and  who  has  rescued  families  upon  fami- 
lies from  darkness  and  despair.  In  our  great  city  of 
New  York,  no  practical  question  concerning  the  wel- 
fare of  Judaism  is  of  more  vital  importance  than  that  of 
mission-work  among  the  Jews.  It  will  not  be  my  aim 
to  show  what  mission-work  was  among  our  people. 
Judaism  is  a  stronghold  of  liberality  and  independence, 
in  that  each  of  us  may  worship  our  one  and  only  God 
according  to  the  belief  that  is  within  him,  and  yet 
belong  to  the  grand  old  faith  which  inspired  Moses  to 
write  down  the  laws  of  ethics  and  morality,  which  have 
maintained  law  and  order  among  mankind  up  to  the 
present  date, — the  most  perfect  code  of  laws  conceived 
by  the  mind  of  man  of  all  times  and  ages,  past,  present 
and  future.  The  great  every-day  phrase,  "  we  are  not 
proselytizers,"  here  changes  into  the  paradox — -Judaize 
unenlightened  Jews.  I  feel  quite  sure  that  at  the  first 
view  of  the  subject  of  our  discussion,  the  question  at  once 
presents  itself,  "Unenlightened  Jews?"  Our  down- 
town brethren,  of  course.  Friends,  a  twofold  discussion 
is  most  necessary.  There  are  two  missions  incumbent 
upon  each  of  us.  I  plead  for  Judaism  first.  We  must 

(187) 


1 88  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Judaize  the  brother  who,  though  refined,  conscious  of 
his  duties  toward  man,  has  neglected  his  great  and  fore- 
most duty,  the  salvation  of  his  own  soul.  It  is  our  ear- 
nest and  sacred  duty,  the  duty  of  those  of  us  who  have 
been  fortunate  in  having  had  parents  who  have  instilled 
into  us  a  love  for  our  faith,  to  see  that  that  faith  shall 
not  die,  but  shall  live  among  the  sons  of  men.  Our  first 
great  need  is  within  ourselves.  We  who  believe,  we 
who  are  possessed  of  that  great  stronghold,  faith,  who 
are  happy  in  the  consciousness  that  there  is  an  ever- 
living,  ever-loving  one  God,  the  God  of  our  forefathers, 
must,  by  the  contagious  example  of  heroic  self-sacrifice 
and  toiling  beneficence,  inspire  others,  less  tutored  in 
the  ancient  creed,  and  not  so  susceptible  to  the  heart- 
throbs of  nineteenth  century  culture. 

To  strike  at  the  root  of  all  existing  evils  lurking  in 
the  pursuit  of  genuine  missionary  work  among  the  un- 
civilized denizens  of  the  sequestered  Ghettos,  here  and 
elsewhere,  is  possible  only,  allow  me  to  make  the  start- 
ling avowal,  by  the  extermination  of  corrupt  theories  and 
wrong  preconceptions  in  the  minds  of  refined  aristo- 
crats, who  lay  claim  to  superior  fineness,  and  this  course 
only  will  pave  the  way  for  admitting  those  deluded 
and  decried  co-religionists  not  basking  in  the  bright  sun- 
gleam  of  refinement  and  elevation.  "  Sin  croucheth 
before  the  door,"  is  applicable  to  patrician  as  well  as 
plebeian  life.  The  lord  of  the  mansion,  the  purse-proud 
owner  of  palatial  homes,  the  full-fledged  aristocrat  of 
fortune,  disdains  to  recognize  the  duty  of  caring  and 
nurturing  his  outcast  brethren,  whom  the  solace  of  kind- 
lier, humaner  touch,  the  condolence  of  tenderer,  less 
brutal  persuasion,  would  mold  into  rare  models  of  repre- 
sentative Jewish  thought,  Jewish  feeling  and  endeavors. 

The  Russian  Jew  is  a  pariah  in  the  midst  of  his  con- 
freres. Semitic  anti-semitism  is  the  bane  of  modern 


MISSION  WORK— KOHUT.  189 

Israel.  The  opulent  members  of  society,  fancying  them- 
selves enshrouded  in  a  pleasing  halo  of  centred  admira- 
tion and  universal  homage,  haughtily  lift  their  heads  in 
the  gentle  zephyr  of  prosperity,  and,  for  fear  of  contract- 
ing an  inconvenient  cold,  take  scrupulous  care  not  to  be 
ushered  into  the  stiffly  blowing  gale  of  neglect  and  total 
abandon,  where  those  whose  hearts'  blood  is  the  law  of 
antiquity,  the  sublime  doctrines  of  the  mother-creed  of 
mankind,  and  who,  above  all  surviving  races,  now  amal- 
gamated with  the  jealous,  ever-complaining  world,  pos- 
sess most  eminently  the  traditional  treasure,  imparted  to 
posterity  by  the  lightning  and  thunder  of  Sinaic  admo- 
nition. With  our  Russian  brethren,  those  derided  char- 
acters on  the  stage  of  life's  thrilling  drama,  abides  the 
imperishable  impulse  of  all-permeating  and  time-tran- 
scending faith-lore — a  faculty  for  trust,  a  gift  for  com- 
prehending in  ethereal  conception  the  import  and 
sublimity  of  that  written  heritage  which  traveled  far 
and  wide,  and  crossed  the  darkest  oceans  of  Israel's 
destiny  upon  the  frailest  bark  of  uncertain  safety  and 
restless  quietude. 

In  barbaric  Russia,  where  the  autocratic  Torquemada 
of  tyranny  wields  the  sceptre  of  oppression  with  unre- 
mitting force,  where  clerical  authority,  enveloped  in 
superstitious  awe,  is  the  most  potent  civilizing  power  of 
a  modern  nation,  rescued  from  the  tombs  of  antiquity, 
the  chosen  people  demonstrated  their  allegiance  to  that 
time-honored  standard,  and  remained  to  this  day  the 
readers  of  the  Book.  The  Bible  saved  their  intellect 
from  the  throes  of  benighted  guile,  the  Bible  requited  a 
persecuted  herd  of  nomads  with  the  milk  and  honey  of 
eternal  memories  for  every  momentary  agony,  for  every 
fleeting  pain. 

But  the  Bible  is  an  ancient  book.  Its  code  of  ethics  is 
not  necessarily  congruous  with  modern  ideas  of  conduct 


1 90  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

and  etiquette.  The  Jews,  amid  primitive  surround- 
ings, devoid  of  polite  arts  and  refining  impetus,  preserve 
intact  the  seeds  of  that  old-time  culture  which  needed 
but  the  fostering  care  and  paternal  guidance  of  a  pro- 
phetic Moses.  They  lacked  the  redeeming  Messiah  of 
mercy,  fraternity  and  tolerance  to  lead  them  forth  out 
of  the  house  of  bondage  into  the  Canaan  of  enlighten- 
ment, which  has  found  its  most  glorious  realization  in 
the  United  States  of  America. 

Why  harp  on  the  deficiencies  and  glaring  faults  of 
these  children  of  the  Ghetto,  who  have  but  lately 
crossed  the  Red  Sea  of  strife,  and  are  as  yet  deeply 
intoxicated  with  the  martial  ring  of  victory?  Why 
emphasize  so  unfeelingly  the  dearth  of  refinement,  the 
lack  of  culture  ?  Who  was  there  in  holy  Russia — God 
save  the  mark  ! — to  release  them  from  the  thralldom  of 
uncouth  manners  or  even  the  valley  of  sin  ?  None. 

And  who  are  there  to  lend  a  helping,  nay,  a  saving 
hand  here  ? 

The  women  of  America  !  The  religiously  enlightened 
matrons  of  our  country,  delivered  from  the  oppressor's 
yoke,  must  dive  into  the  depths  of  vice  to  spread  culture 
and  enlightenment  among  our  semi-barbaric  Russian 
immigrants,  not  insusceptible  to  the  keen  edge  of  the 
civilizers'  art.  With  this  prolegomena,  let  us  go  into 
medias  res. 

Friends  !  Let  us  now  turn  to  that  side  of  the  question 
which,  indeed,  is  the  Gordian  knot  of  our  difficulties. 
I  almost  fear  to  touch  it  when  I  think  how  slight  results 
are  as  compared  with  the  tireless  efforts  one  must  expend 
to  attain  them.  I  do  not  know  whether  your  cities  are 
the  haven  of  so  much  abject  and  depraved  poverty  as 
we  find  in  New  York.  I  have  lived  in  Baltimore  and 
San  Francisco,  and  can  say,  from  experience,  that  from 
the  very  nature  of  things,  one  finds  more  depravity  and 


MISSION  WORK — KOHUT.  191 

greater  poverty  in  the  larger  city.  This,  I  believe,  is  a 
self-evident  fact.  New  York  is  the  dumping  ground  of 
the  Russian  exile,  and  coming  as  he  does  from  benighted 
Russia  into  the  great  Ghetto  of  America,  the  tempta- 
tions that  are  held  out  to  the  wanderer  are  very  great. 
How  often  have  I  heard  a  mother  bewail  the  downfall 
of  a  heretofore  dutiful  son  or  daughter !  How  often 
found  the  deserted  wife  with  children,  or  met  the  hus- 
band torn  by  the  pangs  of  jealousy  of  the  faithless 
spouse !  It  is  that  great  serpent  which  grows  by  what 
it  feeds  upon,  which  one  finds  living  under  the  same 
roof  with  poverty — vice.  The  experience  of  our  little 
band,  called  the  Ahavath  Chesed  Sisterhood,  shows  that 
fully  twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  poor  who  appeal  to  us 
for  aid  are  the  unfortunate  victims  of  desertion.  O,  my 
sisters !  ye  who  are  the  mothers  of  noble  sons  and  fair 
daughters,  ye  who  are  the  respected  wives  of  true  and 
noble  men,  think  of  the  enduring  torture  that  must 
come  of  poverty,  wretched  poverty  and  shame.  When 
we  take  the  history  of  one  poor  heart  that  has  sinned 
and  suffered,  and  represent  to  ourselves  the  struggles 
and  temptations  it  passed  through,  the  brief  pulsations 
of  joy,  the  tears  of  regret,  the  pangs  of  poverty,  the 
scorn  of  the  world,  the  feeble  cry  of  the  little  one  for 
the  bread  that  is  not  there,  health  gone,  hope  gone,  hap- 
piness gone,  when  we  think  of  all  this,  can  we  sit  by, 
idly  by,  unmoved  ?  No  !  "  Arise,  for  the  day  is  calling, 
and  you  lie  dreaming  on."  Put  on  your  girdle  of 
charity,  light  up  your  lamp  of  culture  and  refinement, 
and  go  forth  into  the  hovel  of  your  sister,  who,  without 
your  help  and  encouragement,  will  be  forever  lost. 

Some  months  ago  I  was  invited  to  a  conference  with 
Mrs.  J.  B.  Lowell,  one  of  our  most  estimable  women, 
and  a  member  of  the  Charity  Organization  Society  of 
New  York  City.  Said  she,  "  Have  you  no  missionaries, 


192  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

no  King's  Daughters  among  your  people  ?  I  visit 
your  poor  constantly,  and  have  never  yet  met  any  of 
the  better  class  Jewesses  in  the  lower  quarter  of  the 
city ! "  The  dart  went  straight  home.  I  knew  too 
well  the  truth  of  her  statement.  We  Jewesses  are  not 
missionaries;  we  do  not  go  into  the  camp  of  the  lowly 
and  oppressed;  we  await  our  sisters  at  our  own  doors. 
We  do  not  hunt  out  the  irreligious,  and  by  precepts  and 
suasion  teach  them  how  to  live,  show  them  how  to  die  ! 
It  is  by  personal  contact  alone  that  we  can  be  true  mis- 
sionaries !  It  is  our  duty  to  give,  not  only  materially, 
but  morally  as  well.  We  must  seek  our  sister  and  show 
her  the  way.  Inspire  her  with  confidence  in  you  that 
she  may  feel  that  in  you  she  has  found  a  friend  !  This 
can  be  done  only  by  entering  her  home  and  her  home- 
life.  And  now  that  her  door  is  open  to  you,  and  you 
may  enter  at  will,  gently  but  firmly  teach  her  that 
cleanliness  is  next  to  godliness.  Make  her  see  that 
with  a  pure  soul  must  be  a  clean  body,  and  that  religion 
not  only  means  blind  faith,  but  is  the  golden,  luminous 
setting  of  that  jewel  called  life.  If  we  narrow  the 
sources  of  internal  comfort  and  internal  enjoyment,  we 
lose  some  of  that  treasure  which  God  has  given  us  as 
absolutely  our  own.  Well,  then,  our  next  aim  is  not 
only  to  teach  morality,  but  cleanliness  as  well.  Filth 
and  dirt  always  accompany  depravity.  Poverty  breeds 
much,  and  has  much  to  answer  for.  Dr.  Johnson  says, 
"  It  is  the  peculiar  misfortune  of  the  afflicted  poor  that 
the  very  circumstance  which  increases  their  wants  cuts 
off,  by  disqualifying  for  labor,  the  means  of  their  sup- 
ply." Poor,  at  best,  when  seized  by  sickness,  they 
become  utterly  destitute. 

When  I  undertook  my  first  rounds  among  our  poor,  as 
a  committee  of  the  United  Hebrew  Charities,  the  first 
and  greatest  discouragement  I  encountered  was  the  utter 


MISSION  WORK — KOHUT.  193 

lack  of  cleanliness  which  prevailed  on  all  sides.  When 
one  thinks  that  the  tenants  must  carry  water  up  three 
flights  of  stairs,  and  there  are  always  the  proverbial 
large  families  to  be  provided  with  this  article  of  luxury; 
and,  furthermore,  when  we  realize  that  poverty  is  not 
usually  a  great  incentive,  but  rather  dulls  the  senses, 
it  is  most  natural  that  when  want  leads  the  way,  vice 
follows,  and  dirt  and  disease  come  up  in  quick  succes- 
sion. A  few  women,  of  whom  I  was  one,  formed 
themselves  into  a  broom  and  pail  brigade,  and  always 
making  reasonable  allowances  in  exceptional  cases,  we 
insist  upon  a  clean  home  before  giving  material  aid. 
And  more  than  this,  we  either  wait  until  house-cleaning 
is  over,  or  call  again  in  a  few  hours  to  convince  ourselves 
that  it  has  been  done.  Instilling  habits  of  cleanliness 
promotes  ideas  of  economy  and  exactness  in  the  recipi- 
ent, awakens  dormant  ambitions,  and  instils  a  feeling  of 
self-respect.  It  is,  indeed,  a  privilege  to  give,  but  it  is 
a  greater  privilege  to  see  the  beneficial  results  of  our 
gifts.  It  has  never  been  charged  against  our  people 
that  we  do  not  take  care  of  our  poor,  but  it  has  been 
said,  and  I  fear  truthfully,  that  we  do  not  raise  them  to 
the  standard  of  an  enlightened  citizen.  I<et  us  not 
despise  the  gifts  which  bring  joy  and  health  and  comfort 
into  the  wretched  hovel  of  the  poor,  but  let  us  give  not 
only  liberally  but  intelligently,  doing  the  greatest  good 
for  the  greatest  number. 

"  Better  the  blessing  of  the  poor, 
Though  I  turn  me  empty  from  his  door: 
That  is  no  true  alms  which  the  hand  can  hold; 
He  gives  nothing  but  worthless  gold 
Who  gives  from  a  sense  of  duty; 
But  he  who  gives  a  slender  mite, 
And  gives  to  that  which  is  out  of  sight, 
That  thread  of  the  all-sustaining  Beauty 
Which  runs  through  all  and  doth  all  unite, 

13 


194  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

The  hand  cannot  clasp  the  whole  of  his  alms, 

The  heart  outstretches  its  eager  palms, 

For  a  god  goes  with  it  and  makes  it  store 

To  the  soul  that  was  starving  in  darkness  before." 

A  writer  has  said:  "  Every  degree  of  assistance  is  an 
act  of  charity;  and  there  is  scarcely  any  man  in  such  a 
state  of  imbecility  but  that  he  may  on  some  occasion 
benefit  his  neighbor."  Our  principle  in  giving  should 
be,  as  far  as  possible,  to  help  others  to  help  themselves. 
This  is  real  and  effective  charity. 

And  now,  having  aided  our  less  fortunate  sister  mor- 
ally and  materially,  let  us  grasp  her  by  the  hand,  and 
show  her  that  religion  means,  not  only  the  chanting  of 
prayers;  it  means  the  practice  of  goodness  and  virtue, 
the  living  of  our  faith  in  our  contact  with  our  neighbor. 
We  must  not  be  clannish  and  narrow-minded.  Down 
with  the  wall  that  divides  us  from  our  Christian  brother ! 
High  up  with  the  standard  of  Judaism  in  the  other 
camp.  Act  in  every  sense  of  the  word  as  American 
Jews.  This  is  the  great  lesson  we  must  teach.  It  is  a 
glorious  privilege  to  be  a  Jew,  but  it  is  also  glorious  to 
be  an  American,  and  we  must  appreciate  those  privi- 
leges by  acting  up  to  them  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the 
word.  Refined,  chaste,  quiet  in  our  manners  and  dress, 
we  must  adopt  the  vernacular  of  this  blessed  free  coun- 
try, and  perfect  ourselves  in  it.  No  foreign  tongue,  no 
jargon !  We  are  Israelites,  but  we  are  Americans  as 
well.  The  educational  aspect  of  the  question  presents 
manifold  difficulties,  but  one  with  which,  I  think,  we 
can  cope,  if  we  grasp  at  the  root — the  children.  Save 
them  from  other  missionaries  by  doing  mission-work 
yourselves.  Form  Hebrew  free  kindergartens,  free 
classes  for  older  children,  free  Sabbath  Schools,  free 
sewing  and  reading  classes,  free  working  girls'  clubs, 
and  reading  and  religious  classes  for  boys  and  men,  and 


MISSION  WORK — KOHUT.  195 

mothers'  meetings.  It  shall  not  be  my  aim  to  go  into 
the  detail  workings  of  these  classes.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
"  Let  us  each  be  up  and  doing."  Not  all  do  one  thing, 
nor  one  everything.  The  great  lesson  of  the  day  is, 
"  division  of  labor."  Let  us  each  be  a  friendly  visitor, 
doing  the  little  we  can,  inspiring  others  to  do  a  little 
too,  thereby  adding  to  the  glory  of  Judaism,  and  placing 
one  more  stone  upon  the  structure  of  our  forefathers. 
Then  shall  the  walls  of  bigotry  and  prejudice  crumble 
and  decay,  and  tolerance,  liberality,  enlightenment, 
peace  and  good  will  reign  over  all. 


LAURA  DAVIS  JACOBSON,  ST.  Louis,  Mo. 


The  consideration  of  abstract  principles  becomes  of 
vital  interest  when  necessity  of  application  emphasizes 
their  importance.  If  this  be  so,  then  the  theories,  by 
means  of  which  the  present  question  must  be  answered, 
should  receive  eager  investigation;  for  the  piteous  cry 
that  assails  our  ears  from  across  the  ocean  is  neither  an 
echo  of  the  past  nor  the  faint  muttering  of  a  possible 
future;  it  is  the  agonized  wail  of  the  living  present. 
It  is  because  Russia  dares  offer  a  living  illustration  of 
barbarous  persecution  that  the  possible  intervention  of 
nations  has  become  a  question  of  burning  importance. 
It  is  because  millions  of  innocent  human  beings  are 
daily  deprived  of  the  merest  rights  of  living;  because 
a  nineteenth  century  government  acquiesces  in,  yes, 
encourages  the  torture  that  rends  heart-strings  asunder; 
because  piercing  the  dawn  of  universal  justice  comes 
the  quivering  wail  of  a  heavily-yoked  people,  burdened 
not  only  with  the  load  of  unjust  laws,  but  harried  and 
stung  by  an  inconceivable  swarm  of  illegal  cruelties; 
for  the  reason  that  this  persecution  is  present  now,  a 
breathing  monstrosity  menacing  civilization,  the  world 
feels  the  imperative  demand  of  an  answer  to  our  ques- 
tion. It  is  no  abstract  problem  with  which  we  have  to 
deal,  but  one  that  has  the  exigencies  of  a  present  situa- 
tion for  its  factors.  The  question  demanding  a  speedy 

(196) 


PROTESTS  AGAINST  PERSECUTION.— JACOBSON.     197 

reply,  the  question  that  is  the  present,  clamorous  phase 
of  the  general  proposition,  the  crystallized,  material 
form  in  which  the  theoretic  problem  is  presented  to  our 
generation,  that  for  which  we  are  really  seeking  an 
answer  to-day  is,  ' '  How  can  nations  be  influenced  to 
protest  or  interfere  in  the  Russian  persecution  of  the 
Jews?" 

The  right  to  interfere  must  be  plainly  demonstrated, 
ere  nations  can  be  spurred  to  action.  No  such  serious 
move  can  be  contemplated,  for  a  moment,  until  that  is 
firmly  established.  Are  we  justified,  will  be  the  first 
question.  Is  the  call  urgent,  the  second.  Before  pro- 
test or  interference  can  have  a  justification,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  study  Russia's  methods  in  her  treatment  of  the 
Jews,  to  examine  her  reasons  for  the  persecution  and  to 
decide  whether  those  reasons  are  either  valid  or  suf- 
ficient. To  Russia  can  undoubtedly  be  given  the  ques- 
tionable distinction  of  producing  the  most  outrageous 
conditions  by  which  one  set  of  human  beings  may  wan- 
tonly harass  another.  To  rehearse  the  refinements  of 
cruelty  perpetrated  would  require  volumes.  Yet  excuses 
are  advanced,  so  palpably  absurd,  that  the  most  cursory 
investigation  discovers  their  futility.  Those  complaints 
that  can  claim  the  slightest  vesture  of  truth  gather  sub- 
stance from  faults  that  the  Russian  has  forced  upon  the 
Jew  through  centuries  of  prohibitive  legislation  and 
illegal  hounding.  "  All  Jews,"  says  Russian  law,  "are 
aliens."  It  is  an  historic  fact  that  Jews  were  settled 
along  the  Volga,  Don  and  Dnieper,  centuries  before 
Rurik  founded  the  first  Russian  dynasty,  since  which 
time  they  have  been  obedient  subjects,  supporting  the 
crown  by  the  payment  of  heavy  taxes,  and  fighting, 
when  need  called,  for  the  country  they  named  home. 
It  is  true,  a  vast  number  of  Jews  became  Russian  sub- 
jects through  the  spoliation  of  Poland.  But  if  they  are 


198  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

classed  as  aliens,  all  Poles  are  entitled  to  the  same  dis- 
tinction, as  well  as  the  natives  of  many  other  bits  of 
land  that  Russia  has  succeeded  in  grasping.  "  The 
Jews  form  a  hostile  State  within  a  State,"  says  Madame 
Ragozin.  Emma  Lazarus  pointed  her  reply  by  recalling 
the  injunction  of  Jeremiah,  "  And  seek  the  welfare  of 
the  city  whither  I  have  banished  you,  and  pray  in  its 
behalf  unto  the  Lord,  for  in  its  welfare  shall  ye  fare 
well."  All  students  of  history  know  that  the  Jew  has 
always  loved,  and  served  the  land  in  which  he  was 
allowed  to  dwell.  When  Napoleon  called  the  famous 
Sanhedrin,  one  of  its  first  declarations  was  that  the  law 
of  the  State  was  binding  upon  the  Jews  of  the  State. 
It  also  absolved  Jews  on  the  battle-field  from  the  cere- 
monial observance  of  their  religion  that  they  might  be 
unhampered  in  their  service.  Even  in  Russia,  Nicholas 
declared  that  his  Jewish  subjects  fought  like  veritable 
Maccabees,  and  it  is  known  that  when  Alexander  I. 
called  upon  them  to  fight  against  the  invader,  they 
responded  heartily.  Yet  libel  says  that  they  are  hostile 
to  the  State. 

"  But  the  Jew  is  not  an  agriculturist,"  cries  his  perse- 
cutor. He  cultivated  the  soil  successfully  in  Poland, 
where  laws  were  moderately  lenient.  In  Russia  he  can 
neither  own  nor  lease  land.  Small  wonder  that  he  does 
not  care  to  till  it.  By  the  infamous  May-laws  the  Jews, 
even  within  the  Pale,  the  fifteen  provinces  in  which 
they  are  permitted  to  exist,  were  driven  into  the  towns. 
Yet  the  hue  and  cry  goes  up  that  the  Jew  is  not  an 
agriculturist. 

"The  Jew  is  a  middleman"  is  another  complaint 
brought  to  his  door.  He  is  not  allowed  rank  in  the 
army,  he  is  limited  almost  to  the  extreme  in  the  acquisi- 
tion of  a  profession,  successful  farming  is  rendered  next 
to  impossible,  numerous  branches  of  artisanship  are 


PROTESTS  AGAINST  PERSECUTION — JACOBSON.     199 

closed  in  his  face.  He  must  earn  a  livelihood;  what 
would  you  have  him  be?  And  this  occupation  of  middle- 
man, viewed  by  other  than  Russian  eyes,  is  not  the  un- 
mixed evil  some  would  have  us  believe.  In  a  country  as 
large  as  Russia,  where  transportation  is  difficult,  middle- 
men are  a  necessity.  Harold  Frederic  says  that  the  aw- 
ful famine  in  '91  and  '92  was  largely  due  to  the  lack 
of  Jewish  middlemen,  who  usually  buy  the  grain  as  it 
stands,  and  advance  money  for  reaping  implements. 
Whole  acres  of  crops,  he  says,  rotted  ungathered  in  the 
fields. 

We  are  told  that  the  Jew  is  a  usurer;  that  he  battens 
on  his  Christian  neighbor.  Lanin  says  that  the  same 
economic  abuse  exists  in  provinces  in  Russia  in  which 
the  Jew  never  sets  foot.  Complaints  against  malefactors 
of  the  orthodox  Greek  Church  are  rarely  heard,  for  the 
reason  that  their  voicing  would  be  futile,  while  the  Jew 
is  easily  brought  to  punishment. 

Claims  are  made  that  he  evades  military  duty.  Sta- 
tistics answer  that  the  Jews  constitute  3.95  per  cent  of 
the  population  of  European  Russia;  yet  the  average 
proportion  of  Jewish  soldiers  for  the  last  twelve  years 
has  been  5.97  per  cent.  That  he  is  not  an  enthusiastic 
soldier  needs  no  comment  when  it  is  remembered  that 
he  cannot  rise  from  the  ranks. 

It  is  said  that  the  present  administration  regards  the 
Jews  as  advocates  of  Nihilism.  This  amazing  conclusion 
was  reached  because,  among  the  many  persons  implicated 
in  the  assassination  of  Alexander  II.,  were  three  people 
of  Jewish  birth,  one  of  whom  was  a  Freethinker, 
another  an  apostate,  and  the  third  a  Jew.  All  three 
were  Nihilists,  because  they  were  Russians  opposing  the 
government,  not  because  they  were  Jews. 

But,  they  say,  the  Jew  exploits  the  peasant.  Yet, 
strange  anomaly,  the  account  of  the  Peasant  Land  Bank 


200  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

shows  the  peasants  of  the  fifteen  provinces  of  the  Pale 
to  be  more  prosperous  than  in  districts  minus  Jews.  If 
any  exploiting  is  done  it  appears  to  be  accomplished 
conversely. 

The  offences  gravely  laid  to  their  charge  by  an  intelli- 
gent Russian  statesman  in  one  of  the  Russian  papers — 
the  evils  of  quick  wit,  longevity,  fecundity,  industry, 
perseverance,  and  sobriety — these  indeed  must  be  admit- 
ted. Except  these  final,  sensible  (?)  objections,  all  the 
charges,  the  miasmal  exhalations  of  Russian  hate,  are 
dispelled  by  the  first  inquiring  ray  of  reason.  Yet 
these  are  offered  as  adequate  vindication  of  the  cruelty 
that  taxes  the  Jews  doubly,  that  denies  them  land,  that 
brands  them  as  pariahs,  and  herds  them  in  a  lazar  house, 
no  other  Russian  save  those  of  the  criminal  class  being 
thus  restricted  in  residence.  These  excuses  are  offered 
as  reasons  why,  with  a  minimum  of  exceptions,  they 
should  be  prohibited  an  education. 

These  are  the  bulwarks  by  which  Russia  would  defend 
the  May  laws  and  innumerable,  flagrantly  unjust  ordi- 
nances. And  as  to  the  illegal  cruelties  consistently 
winked  at  by  the  government,  nothing,  not  even  the 
truth  of  all  the  charges,  could  excuse  them.  The  hor- 
rors of  Mr.  Kennan's  pictures  of  Siberia  would  be  fully 
equaled  by  the  volumes  that  would  relate  the  sufferings 
induced  by  this  persecution.  The  flimsy  foundation  of 
justification  falls  crushed  to  atoms  beneath  the  weight 
of  facts. 

Yet,  before  international  interference  can  receive  the 
sanction  of  justice,  the  question,  "Can  hope  for  the 
rectification  of  this  outrage  be  looked  for  from  within 
Russia  itself? "  must  be  asked.  Russia  is  a  despotic 
monarchy,  her  masses  are  kept  in  dense  ignorance,  and 
their  prejudices  and  superstitions  are  fostered,  the  press 
is  manacled,  and  public  expression  of  adverse  opinion  is 


PROTESTS  AGAINST  PERSECUTION — JACOBSON.       201 

reported  and  punished  with  the  vigilance  that  character- 
ized Venice  of  the  Middle  Ages.  The  peasantry  of 
Russia,  who  compose  eighty-five  per  cent  of  the  popula- 
tion, are  uneducated  and  superstitious.  Their  extreme 
aversion  to  labor  and  fondness  for  vodka  have  reduced 
them  to  the  direst  poverty.  The  Jew,  active,  alert, 
abstemious  and  untiring,  thrives  in  the  light  of  the 
slightest  opportunity.  Therefore  the  peasant  needs  but 
a  hint  from  authority  to  cry  out,  "  Give  him  no  opportu- 
nity, as  it  is  he  that  takes  the  bread  from  our  mouths. 
Let  us  kill  him."  With  such  a  leader  in  the  highest 
court  circles,  under  the  guidance  of  Pobiednostsev,  who 
is  the  real  Czar,  a  bigoted  fanatic,  and  a  Torquemada  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the 
peasant,  who  is  a  blind  follower,  should  hate  the  Jew  as 
an  unbeliever  and  the  cause  of  all  his  troubles. 

No  change  will  take  place  there  unless  the  official 
attitude  is  altered,  education  made  general,  and  liberality 
supersedes  bigotry.  The  rigid  supervision  over  the 
press  makes  these  things  unlikely.  A  number  of  broad- 
minded  editors  have  disappeared  in  the  wastes  of  Siberia 
for  public  disagreement  with  government  methods. 
What  may  we  expect  from  the  council  of  Russian  rabbis 
to  be  called  this  autumn  in  St.  Petersburg,  when  liberal 
Russian  believers  are  forbidden  freedom  of  expression  ? 
What  can  we  hope  when  rumors  are  rife  that  new  atroci- 
ties are  to  be  perpetrated  ?  The  Russians  are  notorious 
as  liars.  Before  the  May  laws  were  put  into  operation, 
floating  suggestions  of  them  reached  the  world,  and 
aroused  indignation.  The  Russian  government  denied 
even  the  thought  of  issuing  such  decrees.  Shortly  after 
they  came  like  a  thunderclap.  Is  it  not  likely  that  this 
council  is  to  serve  as  a  blind  on  this  occasion  ?  Even 
petitions  of  the  mildest  nature  have  been  followed  by 
disaster.  It  is  known  that  in  May,  '91,  in  Moscow,  an 


202  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

old  Jewish  soldier  presented  a  petition,  most  humbly 
worded,  to  the  Czar,  begging  that  those  soldiers  who 
had  served  full  time,  and  whose  homes  were  in  Moscow, 
might  be  allowed  to  remain  in  that  city.  The  petition 
remained  unanswered;  the  petitioner  mysteriously  dis- 
appeared. Numerous  like  occurrences  admonish  the 
sanguine.  The  government  pursues  its  course  with  the 
dogged  persistency  that  always  accompanies  fanaticism. 
Indeed,  no  chink  is  left  through  which  the  wedge  of  the 
liberal  few  may  force  a  breach.  Hope  from  within  is 
barren. 

Unofficial  protest  has  been  expressed  by  almost  every 
civilized  nation,  either  through  the  medium  of  the  press 
or  of  individuals.  Russia  is  deaf.  The  celebrated  pro- 
test drawn  up  at  a  meeting  presided  over  by  the  Lord 
Mayor  of  London,  and  sent  to  the  Czar,  received  no 
answer.  Others  enjoyed  a  similar  fate.  Governments 
have  at  various  times  instructed  their  representatives  to 
interpose  in  behalf  of  the  Jews  as  far  as  they  could  do  so 
in  consistence  with  international  relations.  Their  kindly 
intervention  accomplished  nothing.  Representations 
and  appeals  have  been  sent  to  the  Czar  again  and  again. 
They  were  returned  unread  or  regarded  with  scorn. 
The  only  official  utterance  that  has  broken  the  ominous 
silence  came  last  February  in  an  article  by  M.  Botkine, 
Secretary  of  the  Russian  Legation  at  Washington. 
The  weakness  and  bias  of  this  defence  are  equal.  Since 
that  time  no  word  has  appeared.  The  sentiment  of  the 
civilized  world,  unsupported  by  official  governmental 
protest,  has  produced  little  effect  except  perhaps  to 
increase  the  brutality  of  the  persecution. 

Since,  then,  the  world  must  pronounce  these  Russian 
persecutions  inhuman,  since  improvement  is  not  to  be 
looked  for  from  within  Russia  herself,  and  since  enlight- 
ened petitions  and  remonstrances  have  proved  ineffectual, 


PROTESTS  AGAINST  PERSECUTION— JACOBSON.       203 

nations  may  surely  consider  themselves  amply  justified  in 
official  interference.  The  broad  basis  of  humanity  is  suffi- 
cient support  of  their  right.  Vattel,  an  eminent  author- 
ity upon  the  "  L,aw  of  Nations,"  says,  "  If  persecution  be 
carried  to  an  intolerable  excess,  it  becomes  a  case  of 
manifest  tyranny,  in  opposition  to  which  all  nations  are 
allowed  to  assist  an  unhappy  people."  But  another 
reason  than  the  ethical  furnishes  adequate  ground  for 
international  interference,  and  urges  its  expediency. 
Russia  expels  great  masses  of  people  in  such  a  condition 
that  nations,  in  protection  of  their  own  interests,  hesitate 
to  receive  them.  Although  cleaner  by  far  than  other 
Russians  of  their  class,  these  poor  Jews  are  distantly 
removed  from  the  ideal.  The  majority,  as  we  have 
seen,  are  ignorant  through  compulsion.  Russian  injus- 
tice has  pauperized  them.  Even  those  who,  despite  all 
obstacles,  have  enjoyed  comparative  comfort  in  Russia, 
have  been  rendered  penniless  through  official  robbery 
and  the  cruelty  that  commanded  them  to  quit  their 
homes  upon  such  notice  that  household  effects  had  to  be 
sacrificed  for  a  trifle.  Poverty-stricken  and  helpless, 
unacquainted  with  the  language  and  the  mode  of 
thought  of  Western  Europe  and  America,  foreign  to  our 
habits,  thoroughly  Russian,  except  that  they  are  admit- 
tedly superior  to  other  Russians  of  their  class,  they  come 
in  immense  numbers,  willing  to  work  for  a  trifle,  and 
dependent  very  largely  on  charity.  The  industrial 
army,  even  in  these  spacious  United  States,  gives  them 
a  most  grudging  welcome.  The  European  labor  mar- 
ket is  so  crowded,  and  remuneration  so  low,  that  any 
addition  of  cheap  labor  would  result  most  disastrously. 
Russia  is  indifferent.  Her  policy  is  to  make  the  life  of 
the  Jew  unbearable  in  Russia;  her  law  draws  its  fatal 
net  around  hundreds  of  thousands  of  these,  her  subjects, 
who  are  compelled  to  flee  en  masse  from  its  entangling 


204  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

meshes.  Now  it  is  a  well-recognized  principle  of  inter- 
national law  that  nations  may  rightfully  oppose  the 
action  of  any  nation  that  may  be  a  source  of  disadvan- 
tage to  themselves.  The  two  causes,  humanity  and  self- 
protection,  are  certainly  present  to  give  nations  the 
right  in  this  and  like  cases,  to  protest  and  interfere. 

Demonstration  having  plainly  shown  the  justification 
of  such  a  course  on  the  part  of  the  united  powers,  it 
remains  to  be  seen  whether  these  causes  are  cogent 
enough  to  influence  them  to  act  upon  their  right  in  the 
case  under  consideration.  Nations  must  move  with 
caution,  their  first  duty  being  the  welfare  of  their  own 
subjects.  Fear  of  provoking  hostility  and  its  possible 
evils  acts  as  a  powerful  restraint  upon  impulse.  Official 
protests,  to  have  due  force,  must  be  backed  by  cannon, 
or  supported  by  commercial  action.  Such  measures  are 
extreme,  and  a  natural  hesitation  precedes  their  ernploy- 
meiit;  yet  nations  have,  upon  several  occasions,  been 
impelled  by  the  mighty  power  of  public  opinion  and 
sympathy  to  array  themselves  on  the  side  of  justice,  and 
to  fight  for  those  principles  upon  whose  observance  civ- 
ilization, progress  and  safety  rest.  Servia  and  Bulgaria 
were  dealt  with  by  treaty.  Among  the  other  conditions 
stipulated  was  one  demanding  more  humane  treatment 
of  the  Jews  and  the  abrogation  of  many  of  the  restric- 
tions under  whose  disadvantages  they  were  laboring. 
The  two  principalities  depended  for  their  recognition  by 
the  powers  of  Europe  upon  their  assent  to  these  just 
demands.  It  is  true,  the  countries  in  question  were  the 
more  easily  persuaded  to  justice,  because  they  were  weak 
in  military  power.  But  another  precedent  of  interna- 
tional interference  in  the  cause  of  liberty,  though  not  in 
behalf  of  the  Jews,  interference  with  a  country  strong 
in  her  army,  will  be  recalled  in  the  struggle  of  the 
Greeks  against  Turkey.  In  England  and  France,  public 


PROTESTS  AGAINST  PERSECUTION — JACOBSON.      205 

sentiment  ran  sufficiently  high  to  induce  those  govern- 
ments to  send  men-of-war  to  practically  illustrate  the 
sympathy  they  felt.  Russia,  perhaps  from  a  complexity 
of  motives,  also  gave  her  aid.  Cannon  backed  protest,, 
and  supported  interference.  International  law,  as  inter- 
preted by  the  well-known  authority,  Mr.  Wheaton, 
approved  the  interference,  upon  the  ground  that  "  The 
general  interests  of  humanity  are  infringed  by  the 
excesses  of  a  barbaric  and  despotic  government. "  Are 
we  less  wise  and  humane  than  our  fathers  in  the  child- 
hood of  the  century  ?  Is  it  impossible  for  us  to  be 
stirred  to  action  by  a  noble  indignation  ?  After  every 
persuasive  measure  has  been  uselessly  urged,  if  Russia 
continues  to  close  her  ears  to  reason  and  justice,  will  not 
nations  be  influenced  by  the  ties  of  a  common  humanity 
to  answer  the  cries  of  the  six  millions  of  people  whom 
the  Czar  so  recklessly  crushes?  Civilization  should 
blush  to  give  any  reply  save  one.  When  to  that  appeal 
for  aid,  motives  of  self-protection  are  added,  the  neces- 
sity of  intervention  gains  force.  European  labor,  as  has 
been  shown,  has  just  cause  for  alarm.  Europe  bids  the 
exiles  a  hasty  adieu,  and  eagerly  hastens  their  journey 
to  the  United  States.  Suppose,  under  the  strict  enforce- 
ment of  our  pauper  immigration  law,  three-fourths  of 
these  people  were  refused  entrance  at  our  ports  ?  The 
steamers  would  hesitate  to  take  the  risk  of  carrying 
them  from  fear  of  being  obliged  to  give  a  return  pas- 
sage. Europe  would  then  be  forced  to  maintain  them, 
expel  them,  or  refuse  them  entrance.  The  first  she 
cannot  do;  the  second  would  be  expensive,  trouble- 
some and  cruel;  the  last  course  would  cause  these  poor 
wretches  to  die  in  hordes  at  her  very  door.  She  would 
be  left  only  this  choice,  murdering  the  interests  of  her 
own  people,  annihilating  the  very  existence  of  millions 
of  refugees  or  taking  measures  to  see  that  Russia 


2o6  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

rendered  life  bearable  to  her  subjects.  Is  the  decision 
doubtful  ? 

The  course  of  the  United  States  is  equally  plain.  Our 
country  is  large,  our  labor  unions  are  strong,  yet  constant 
murmurs  are  heard  against  these  helpless  intruders.  Such 
numbers  of  indigent  people  willing  to  work  for  any  wage 
to  keep  body  and  soul  together  are  a  menace  to  the  work- 
ing classes,  at  least,  until  such  time  when  they  shall  have 
learned  to  insist  upon  the  highest  market  value  for  their 
labor.  Meanwhile,  provision  must  be  made  for  them  by 
charity,  and  the  best  interests  of  our  own  wage-workers 
are  being  sacrificed.  Since  between  five  and  six  millions 
of  Jews  are  still  in  Russia,  as  each  year  witnesses  new 
persecutions,  and  consequently  brings  its  hundred  thou- 
sand of  beneficiaries  to  our  shores,  this  condition  of  affairs 
is  apt  to  continue  for  years.  The  menace  will  become  a 
chronic  evil,  the  appeal,  a  constant  drain.  If  the  com- 
paratively few  have  cost  such  expenditures  in  charity, 
and  are  the  source  of  increasing  dissatisfaction  to  the 
working  classes,  what  may  we  expect,  when  the  other 
millions  are  thrust  'upon  us,  equally  ignorant,  helpless 
and  poverty-stricken  ?  There  is  no  reason  why  we  should 
suffer  the  disastrous  results  of  another  nation's  wrong- 
doing, when  that  nation  can  be  compelled  to  rectify  her 
error. 

The  wage- workers  whose  interests  are  infringed  are 
beginning  to  see  this,  and  their  complaints  are  becoming 
louder.  They  are  the  power  in  every  free  country 
where  public  opinion  frames  and  interprets  the  laws. 
Their  growing  dissatisfaction  will  influence  nations  to 
interfere,  as  a  self-protective  measure,  with  Russia's 
wholesale  exile  of  the  Jews,  and  to  insist  that  she  shall 
maintain  a  more  reasonable  attitude  toward  those  mem- 
bers of  her  empire,  so  that  they  may  at  least  fit  them- 
selves for  emigration.  Self-protection  and  humanity, 


PROTESTS  AGAINST  PERSECUTION — JACOBSON.      207 

therefore,  urge  nations  with  the  ringing  call  of  trumpets 
to  unite  in  official  interference. 

But,  says  M.  Anatole  Leroy-Beaulieu,  "  Russia  is  strong; 
Europe's  protest  to  have  force  must  be  united;  united 
Europe  under  existing  political  conditions  is  impossible." 
He  claims  that  France  looks  to  Russia  as  an  ally  in  case 
of  an  attack  from  Germany,  and  that,  much  as  she  de- 
plores Russia's  conduct,  she  will  do  nothing  officially 
that  might  alienate  her,  Germany  will  not  dissipate 
her  forces,  when  she  knows  that  France  is  only  waiting 
for  a  sign  of  weakness  to  precipitate  a  war. 

Presuming  that  this  is  true,  are  France  and  Germany 
necessary  to  a  successful  interference?  France  would 
most  likely  remain  neutral,  if  extreme  measures  were 
reached.  Germany  has  no  love  for  Russia,  and  even  if 
other  reasons  did  not  press,  would  refuse  to  aid  the  friend 
of  France.  The  other  European  powers,  in  conjunction 
with  the  United  States,  could  easily  intimidate  Russia, 
if  she  were  unaided  by  these  great  military  nations. 
And  should  the  improbable  occur,  if  either  one  of  these 
countries  could  be  persuaded  to  aid  Russia,  the  other 
would,  from  motives  of  long-fostered  hatred,  ally  itself 
with  the  opposing  forces.  M.  Beaulieu's  apparent  obsta- 
cles have  not  sufficient  substance  to  cast  a  shadow.  Fear 
of  failure,  therefore,  need  not  prove  a  deterrent.  The 
certainty  of  ultimate  success,  which  always  acts  as  an 
impetus,  can,  in  this  case,  be  assured.  But  such  harsh 
measures  are  likely  to  prove  entirely  unnecessary.  Rus- 
sia, convinced  that  the  civilized  world  is  intensely  in 
earnest  in  its  protest,  will  become  more  amenable  to 
reason.  Firmly  convinced  that  a  more  tangible  support 
than. mere  words  will  be  given,  if  necessary,  to  just 
demands,  she  will  yield  to  the  inevitable,  and  it  will  be 
possible  to  negotiate  by  means  of  a  treaty.  An  inter- 
national congress  to  consider  the  amelioration  of  the 


208  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

condition  of  the  persecuted  in  Russia  could  be  convened, 
to  which  Russia  would  be  invited  to  send  her  represent- 
ative. Arrangements  could  then  be  made  whereby  this 
evil  that  touches  both  the  persecuted  and  the  world  at 
large  could  be  mitigated.  To  the  conditions  agreed 
upon  by  this  convention,  the  Czar  should  be  firmly  held. 
Is  it  the  dream  of  an  idealist  to  expect  nations  to  endeavor 
to  right  a  great  wrong?  If  so,  then  the  civil  war  in  which 
thousands  of  men  fought  for  the  liberation  of  the  negro 
from  slavery  was  a  myth.  True,  that  was  a  national, 
not  an  international  correction  of  an  evil.  Be  it  to  our 
everlasting  glory  that  we  did  not  wait  for  outside  press- 
ure, but  from  the  highest  of  motives  undid  our  own 
error.  It  proved  at  least  that  the  pulsations  of  a  divine 
sympathy  can  rouse  the  soul  to  fight  in  behalf  of  the 
unjustly  oppressed.  If  international  interference  be  a 
dream,  then  the  aid  that  Greece  received  was  a  chimera. 
If  nations  cannot  be  stirred  to  righteous  action,  civiliza- 
tion is  a  farce,  and  the  Russian  Acksakoff  was  right, 
when  he  said  that  our  boasted  progress  is  but  deteriora- 
tion. 

But  history  assures  us  that  nations  can  be  stirred,  and 
that  these  things  were  positive  realities.  It  tells  us  that 
great  thinkers  have  swayed  the  public  mind  through  the 
press.  We  know  that  Horace  Greeley  and  Thurlow  Weed 
aroused  the  heart  of  a  nation;  that  Lowell,  Whittierand 
Mrs.  Stowe  moved  thousands  to  tears  and  action.  We 
know  that  in  England  the  eloquence  of  a  Macaulay,  a 
Fox,  a  Pitt,  and  a  Brougham,  drew  97,000,000  dollars 
from  the  British  treasury  to  blot  out  the  shame  of  slavery. 
Records  relate  that  English  and  French  statesmen  cham- 
pioned the  cause  of  Greek  liberty  in  their  houses  of 
government,  that  fervent  addresses,  in  behalf  of  justice, 
rang  from  the  lecture  platform  to  be  echoed  by  the  masses 
with  ever-increasing  volume,  that  a  nation  and  that 


PROTESTS  AGAINST  PERSECUTION — JACOBSON.      209 

nations  have  been  influenced  in  these  ways  to  champion 
the  cause  of  the  distressed.  What  has  been  done,  can 
be  done  again.  Mighty,  noble  work  has  been  given  to 
our  generation.  Let  those  whose  interest  is  moved,  the 
philanthropist,  the  humanitarian,  the  statesman,  the 
wage- worker,  and  the  simple  lover  of  justice,  form  socie- 
ties throughout  the  world.  Their  individual  work  should 
be  based  on  carefully  prepared  plans  agreed  upon  by 
chosen  representatives,  who  will  meet,  or  communicate, 
at  stated  intervals  to  report  progress  and  consider  further 
measures.  Let  them  procure  statistics  and  reports  for 
publication.  Let  them  persistently  and  untiringly  appeal 
to  the  self-interests  and  the  human  sympathy  of  the  peo- 
ple by  all  the  arts  known  to  man.  Let  them  gather 
their  resources  of  finance,  of  eloquence,  and  of  power 
that  they  may  employ  every  channel  of  communication 
to  gain  public  attention  and  enlighten  public  thought. 
A  part  of  their  work  will  be  to  see  that  their  members 
are  sent  to  Congress,  to  Parliament,  to  the  Chamber  of 
Deputies,  the  Reichstag,  and  to  all  the  bodies  that  decide 
the  course  of  nations.  They  can  arouse  the  voice  of 
labor  to  vote  for  those  men  who  will  sway  the  delibera- 
tions of  legislators  to  a  proper  consideration  of  its  inter- 
ests. Through  the  efforts  of  these  societies,  composed 
as  they  will  be  of  the  brightest  and  most  liberal  minds 
of  the  world,  let  popular  literature,  the  monthly  maga- 
zine, the  rostrum,  and  above  all  the  daily  press  be  used 
in  the  service  of  the  humanitarian  and  the  patriot,  and 
the  policy  of  nations  will  surely  be  influenced  to  a  right- 
eous interference  with  wanton  cruelty,  a  humane  defense 
of  the  persecuted  and  a  just  protection  of  their  own 
citizens.  Then  shall  justice  arise  glorified  in  the  dawn 
of  the  new  century,  and  vindicate,  even  for  the  lowliest 
among  the  children  of  men,  the  equal  rights  of  men. 


HOW  CAN  NATIONS  BE  INFLUENCED  TO 

PROTEST  OR  INTERFERE  IN  CASES 

OF  PERSECUTION? 

{Discussion  of  the  foregoing  paper,} 


HlRSHFIEIvD,  NEW  YORK. 


In  our  righteous  indignation  at  the  ruthless  oppres- 
sion of  the  Jews  in  Russia,  in  our  heightened  sympathy 
for  the  persecuted,  and  in  our  burning  desire  to  lighten 
their  burdens,  we  must  not  allow  ourselves  to  be  swept 
beyond  the  confines  of  common  sense.  Because  this 
question  is  one  of  such  vital  importance,  we  must  not 
permit  our  feelings  to  usurp  our  reason.  Emotions  may 
excite  to  action,  but  action  itself  must  be  ruled  by 
sound,  practical  judgment,  if  it  is  to  have  adequate  and 
lasting  results.  This  question  of  international  protest 
or  interference  in  behalf  of  the  oppressed  subjects  of 
another  nation  is  one  of  the  utmost  delicacy. 

At  the  very  outset,  it  clashes  with  that  most  precious 
possession  of  nations,  their  sovereignty,  their  right  to 
be  governed  as  they  see  fit,  which  right  all  other  nations 
are  bound  to  scrupulously  respect.  On  this  topic  of 
sovereignty,  Vattel  says,  u  Every  nation  is  mistress  of 
her  own  actions.  The  sovereign  is  he  to  whom  the 
nation  has  trusted  the  empire  and  the  care  of  the  gov- 
ernment; it  has  invested  him  with  its  rights;  it  alone  is 
directly  interested  in  the  manner  in  which  the  con- 
ductor it  has  chosen  makes  use  of  his  power. 

"  It  does  not,  then,  belong  to  any  foreign  power  to 
take  cognizance  of  the  administration  of  this  sovereign, 

(210) 


PROTESTS  AGAINST  PERSECUTION — HIRSHFIELD.    211 

to  set  itself  up  as  a  judge  of  his  conduct,  and  to  oblige 
him  to  alter  it.  If  he  loads  his  subjects  with  taxes,  and 
if  he  treats  them  with  severity,  it  is  a  national  affair; 
and  no  other  is  called  upon  to  redress  it,  or  to  oblige 
him  to  follow  more  wise  and  equitable  maxims." 

Hence,  the  underlying  principle  of  international  law, 
according  to  all  authorities,  is  non-intervention  in  a 
nation's  domestic  concerns. 

No  nation  has  lived  up  to  the  letter  as  well  as  the 
spirit  of  the  principle  of  non-interference  so  consistently 
as  the  United  States.  Absolute,  unswerving  neutrality 
has  been  the  foundation  stone  upon  which  it  has  reared 
its  relations  with  the  other  powers  of  the  world.  In 
opposition  to  the  most  enthusiastic  sympathy  of  the 
people,  Washington  proclaimed,  and  maintained  the 
strictest  neutrality  when  France,  our  only  ally,  demand- 
ed our  aid  against  England. 

The  United  States  is  peculiarly  sensitive  on  this  ques- 
tion of  international  intervention,  as  witness  the  Monroe 
Doctrine.  Moreover,  did  not  this  government  resent, 
with  indignation,  Great  Britain's  interference  in  favor 
of  the  southern  Confederacy  during  our  civil  war,  and 
did  it  not  make  that  power  pay  for  its  meddling  ? 

On  the  question  of  religious  persecution,  Vattel 
declares,  ' '  When  a  religion  is  persecuted  in  one  coun- 
try, the  foreign  nations  who  profess  it,  may  intercede 
for  their  brethren:  but  this  is  all  they  can  lawfully  do, 
unless  the  persecution  be  carried  to  an  intolerable  excess; 
then,  indeed,  it  becomes  a  case  of  manifest  tyranny,  in 
which  all  nations  are  permitted  to  succor  an  unhappy 
people."  But  in  the  next  breath  he  qualifies  this  seem- 
ing exception  to  the  principle  of  non-interference  by 
saying:  "If  the  prince,  by  attacking  the  fundamental 
laws,  gives  his  subjects  a  legal  right  to  resist  him;  if 
tyranny,  becoming  insupportable,  obliges  the  nation  to 


212  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

rise  in  their  defence;  every  foreign  power  has  a  right  to 
succor  an  oppressed  people  who  implore  their  assist- 
ance." Even  in  the  exceptional  circumstances  under 
which  interference  is  allowable,  there  must  first  be  a 
rising  of  the  people  against  the  tyrant,  and  an  appeal 
for  aid  on  the  part  of  the  oppressed  themselves.  How- 
ever much  men,  in  general,  may  be  affected  by  sym- 
pathy, the  deliberations  of  governments,  in  matters 
relating  to  foreign  powers,  are  swayed  by  common 
sense,  expediency  and  diplomatic  usage.  Hence,  all 
talk  about  "protest  backed  by  cannon"  is  manifestly 
absurd,  preposterous.  But  allowing  for  the  sake  of 
argument  that  armed  interference  were  possible,  who 
would  fight  ?  It  is  obvious  the  United  States  could  not, 
and  would  not  break  through  its  settled  principle  of 
neutrality.  Now  we  turn  to  Europe,  and  ask  what 
powers  there  are  affected  by  this  expulsion  of  the  Rus- 
sian Jews.  There  are  really  only  three  vitally  inter- 
ested in  this  question:  Austria  and  Germany,  the  high- 
roads along  which  this  outcast  people  trail  their  hard 
and  weary  way  to  the  seaports,  and  England,  who  keeps 
as  many  as  she  passes  on.  France  has  no  practical  con- 
cern in  this  movement.  Now  is  it  conceivable  that  any 
of  these  interested  powers  would  further  tax  its  already 
overburdened  people  to  maintain  an  army  in  the  field 
against  Russia,  would  be  willing  to  increase  its  national 
debt  and  to  slaughter  thousands  on  thousands  of  men, 
thus  making  countless  widows  and  orphans,  and  all  for 
a  few  millions  of  Russian  Jews  ?  In  the  opinion  of  the 
great  powers  of  the  world,  would  the  amelioration  of 
the  condition  of  the  oppressed  Jews  justify  the  expendi- 
ture of  millions  on  millions  of  money  and  thousands  on 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  lives,  and  would  it  compen- 
sate for  the  sorrow  and  desolation  that  follow  in  the 
wake  of  war  ?  The  calm,  dispassionate  answer  is,  No. 


PROTESTS  AGAINST  PERSECUTION — HIRSHFIEUX    213 

But  cries  the  idealist,  "  No  cost  is  too  great  which  pro- 
cures the  emancipation  of  a  people."  True,  but  we 
must  not  forget  that  this  people  are  Jews.  And  we 
have  not  come  to  the  day,  no,  nor  yet  to  the  dawning  of 
that  day,  when  the  world  will  fight  for  Jews.  It  is  time 
we  openly  recognized  that  fact.  It  is  time  we  no  longer 
deluded  ourselves  with  the  pretty  sentimentalities  of  the 
brotherhood  of  man.  Chilly  toleration  and  lukewarm 
patronage  are  not  equality.  Humanity  is  far  from 
being  the  watchword  of  the  world,  else  I  would  not 
stand  here  to-night  pleading  a  forlorn  cause. 

The  Greek  Revolution  has  been  instanced  as  a  prece- 
dent for  international  interference  in  a  power's  domestic 
concerns,  but  as  an  example  it  does  not  hold  good.  In 
the  first  place,  the  Greeks  were  not  wholly  under  the 
domination  of  the  Ottoman  government,  for,  according 
to  Finlay,  the  celebrated  historian  of  Greece,  they  were 
in  the  habit  of  placing  themselves  under  the  protection 
of  some  foreign  power.  Moreover,  the  Greek  Revolu- 
tion fulfilled  the  conditions  which  make  international 
intervention  allowable: — the  Greeks  had  risen  against 
insupportable  tyranny,  and,  fighting  for  their  faith  and 
national  independence,  had  called  upon  the  British  and 
the  French  government  for  aid.  Then  again  it  must 
not  be  forgotten  that  this  was  a  struggle  between  a 
Christian  people  and  a  Moslem  power,  and  Christendom 
could  not  allow  its  kindred  to  be  crushed.  And  then 
what  a  halo  of  romance  surrounded  "Greece,  the  isles 
of  Greece  !  "  What  a  debt  mankind  owes  this  land,  the 
birthplace  of  art  and  letters,  of  Homer  and  Plato,  and 
all  that  radiant,  intellectual  host !  What  have  the  Jews 
done  for  art  and  letters?  Compared  with  Homer  and 
Plato,  who  are  the  prophets  and  Jesus  ? 

Since  war  is  manifestly  impossible,  what  other  re- 
sources are  there  to  enable  foreign  powers  to  influence 


214  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Russia  in  this  matter?  An  international  congress  has 
been  suggested.  But  the  question  at  once  arises,  Who 
is  empowered  to  convene  such  a  congress  ?  An  interna- 
tional tribunal  is  an  impossibility  without  the  concur- 
rence of  all  first-class  powers.  No  nation,  or  league  of 
nations,  dare  call  another  power  to  account  for  its  domes- 
tic affairs.  And  haughty,  autocratic  Russia  would  be 
the  last  to  [submit  to  such  dictation,  and  no  power  on 
earth  could  compel  her.  The  Berlin  treaty  is  held  up 
as  an  example  of  what  an  international  congress  can  do 
for  the  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  the  Jews.  It  is 
a  misstatement  of  fact,  however,  to  say  that  the  Balkan 
Principalities  "depended  for  their  recognition  by  the 
powers  of  Europe  upon  their  assent"  to  the  improve- 
ment of  the  condition  of  the  Jews.  That  was  one  of 
the  minor  conditions  of  the  treaty,  and  covered  the  case 
of  the  Roman  Catholics  as  well  as  of  the  Jews.  Even 
in  1879  the  United  States  government,  through  its  Sec- 
retary of  State,  Mr.  Evarts,  declared  that  "  the  mitigation 
of  the  persecution  of  the  Jews  in  Roumania  could  not 
be  made  a  sine  qua  non  to  the  establishment  of  official 
relations  with  that  country." 

Since  an  international  tribunal  is  as  impracticable  as 
war  is  absurd,  what  is  to  be  done?  We  must  arouse 
public  opinion,  that  "  watchdog  whose  bark  sounds  an  evil 
omen  in  the  ear  of  monarchs."  The  Czar,  it  is  said, 
feels  keenly  the  imputation  that  he  is  a  sort  of  imperial 
slave-driver,  standing,  with  uplifted  lash,  to  scourge  the 
non-believing  Jews  into  the  Orthodox  Church,  or  drive 
them  forth  from  the  homes  of  their  ancestors.  It  is  to 
this  exquisite  sensitiveness  on  the  Czar's  part  that  is  due 
the  explanation  given  to  the  world  that  the  oppression 
of  the  Jews  is  not  a  religious  persecution,  but  the  solu- 
tion of  an  economic  problem.  This  explanation  was 
made  to  Mr.  Charles  Emory  Smith,  United  States  Minister 


PROTESTS  AGAINST  PERSECUTION — HIRSHFIEUX    215 

to  Russia,  in  reply  to  the  friendly  protests  made  by 
Secretary  Elaine  in  1891.  Mr.  Elaine  put  the  question 
on  the  plane  of  humanity  and  economics.  In  answer  to 
the  plea  of  humanity,  the  Russian  Government,  through 
its  foreign  minister,  M.  de  Giers,  acknowledged  that  its 
treatment  of  the  Jews  was  not  in  conformity  with  the 
enlightened  spirit  of  the  age,  but  that  the  political  con- 
ditions in  Russia  were  so  different  from  what  they  were 
in  the  United  States  that  the  Americans  could  not 
appreciate  them.  As  for  the  increased  immigration  of 
Russian  Jews  affecting  our  labor  problem,  M.  de  Giers 
suggested  that  if  the  immigrants  became  good  citizens, 
aiding  in  the  development  of  the  country,  the  United 
States  government  certainly  had  no  cause  to  complain; 
and  if,  as  claimed,  the  refugees  were  an  undesirable 
element,  Russia  blandly  insinuated  that  America  was 
not  compelled  to  receive  them.  An  open  avowal  of 
mediaeval  methods  and  a  diplomatic  cynicism  as  to  the 
effect  of  such  Middle  Age  legislation  on  our  industrial 
problem  were  all  that  the  earnest,  liberal-minded  pro- 
tests of  this  government  could  extract  from  Russia. 

The  question  is  a  hopeless  one.  The  Russian  govern- 
ment, with  arrogant  selfishness,  refuses  to  do  its  share 
toward  solving  this  problem.  It  may  come  to  pass  event- 
ually that  the  responsibility  of  each  government  for  its 
own  people  will  become  a  principle  of  international  law, 
that  the  expulsion  of  its  undesirable  elements  by  any 
power  will  be  considered  a  violation  of  the  law  of  nations. 
For  the  present,  however,  outside  help  for  the  Russian 
Jews  is  impossible.  But  one  tiny,  feeble  ray  of  light  is 
glimmering  within  darkest  Russia  herself,  which  some 
day  may  burst  into  a  devouring  blaze  to  illuminate  this 
desperate  state  of  things.  To  those  who  have  studied 
Russian  politics,  it  is  well  known  that  both  within 
and  without  the  empire  there  is  a  strong  and  growing 


2i6  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

revolutionary  party,  not  nihilists  or  regicides,  but  men 
and  women  who  are  working  for  a  free,  constitutional 
government.  Let  this  revolutionary  party  pledge  itself 
to  give  equal  rights  to  the  Jews  in  case  of  its  success, 
and  there  is  not  a  Jew  in  the  world  who  would  not  give 
moral  and  financial  aid  to  further  that  cause.  This  is 
not  the  wild  chimera  it  seems  at  first  sight.  The  spirit 
of  the  age  has  doomed  despotisms,  and  no  matter  how 
long  the  respite  may  be,  the  doom  will  fall.  The  French 
Revolution  gave  to  the  Jews  their  first  political  freedom; 
the  results  of  the  American  Revolution  have  strength- 
ened and  augmented  that  liberty;  who  can  tell  but  that  a 
Russian  revolution  may  solve  the  Russo-Jewish  problem  ? 
But  from  the  radiant  dream  of  the  future,  we  turn  to  the 
hopeless,  living  present,  and  cry  with  Isaiah: 

"  It  is  a  people  robbed  and  spoiled.  They  are  become 
for  a  prey,  and  none  delivereth;  for  a  spoil,  and  none 
saith,  Restore." 

The  same  subject  was  discussed  by  others,  Mr.  Wm. 
Onahan  speaking  briefly,  and  Professor  Chas.  Zeub- 
lin  making  an  earnest  plea  for  the  Russian  Jews.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Jenkins  Lloyd  Jones  brought  out  the  points 
held  in  common  by  the  Unitarians  and  the  Jews,  and  the 
Rev.  Ida  G.  Hultin  bore  greetings  from  the  women  of 
the  Unitarian  Church. 

The  following  letter  from  George  Kennan  was  then 
read: 

BRETON  COTTAGE,  BADDECK, 
CAPE  BRETON  ISLAND,  NOVA  SCOTIA, 

August  5,  1893. 

MRS.  HENRY  SOLOMON. 

Dear  Madam: — Your  letter  of  July  20  is  at  hand.  It 
would  give  me  great  pleasure  both  to  hear,  and  to  take 
part  in,  the  discussion  with  regard  to  the  prevention  of 


PROTESTS  AGAINST  PERSECUTION — KENNAN.      217 

persecution,  if  it  were  possible  for  me  to  do  so,  but  I 
regret  to  say  that  my  engagements  are  such  that  I  cannot 
be  in  Chicago  when  the  Jewish  Women's  Religious  Con- 
gress meets.  I  fully  sympathize  with  the  object  that 
you  have  in  view,  and  I  shall  try  to  do  what  I  can  for 
the  abatement  of  persecution,  both  religious  and  politi- 
cal, in  all  countries,  and  particularly  in  Russia. 
Sincerely  yours, 

GBORGE  KENNAN. 


THURSDAY,  SEPTEMBER  7,  1893,  9.30  A.  M. 
ORGANIZATION. 

SADIE  AMERICAN,  CHICAGO. 


The  foregoing  days  of  this  Congress  have  shown  what 
some  Jewish  women  have  been,  have  done,  have  thought, 
and  what  a  few  are  thinking  and  planning.  This  Con- 
gress would  not  be  complete  without  some  record  of 
what  many  Jewish  women  have  done,  and  are  doing. 
Therefore,  an  attempt  has  been  made  to  bring  into  a 
short,  presentable  form,  the  present  work  of  Jewish 
women.  The  present  work  we  say,  for  though  the 
record  be  of  work  past  and  passing,  work  which  has 
been  good,  work  which  leaves  an  impress  on  the  world 
that  can  never  be  effaced,  is  ever  present  work.  It  will 
readily  be  understood  that  no  attempt  could  be  made  to 
record  the  names  of  individual  women.  There  are  too 
many  who,  in  a  more  limited  sphere,  have  labored  as 
worthily  as  have  such  women  as  Rebecca  Gratz,  Emma 
Lazarus,  Penina  Moise  and  others,  but  whose  fame  has 
not  gone  beyond  the  circle  of  those  among  whom  they 
worked,  and  spread  the  perfume  of  their  lives.  There- 
fore, this  report  can  contain  but  an  account  of  work 
Jewish  women  have  done  together  in  associations  or 
societies,  large  or  small.  In  order  to  gain  a  complete 
report,  requests  were  sent  broadcast  over  the  land  for 
accounts  of  associations  of  Jewish  women,  of  whatever 
kind  or  nature.  We  regret  that  the  requests  did  not. 
meet  with  more  frequent  and  full  response. 

(218) 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  219 

The  largest  cities  only  replied;  their  reports  must,  and 
may,  be  taken  as  typical  of  what  has  been  done  else- 
where. The  object  of  the  request  sent  was  to  ascertain 
the  nature,  field,  purpose  and  success  of  associated  work 
among  Jewish  women;  not  merely  to  present  such  a 
record,  but  to  make  it  serve  as  a  lesson  to  teach  by  the 
past  how  to  guide  the  future,  to  teach  what  has  been 
accomplished,  and  what  calls  for  attention,  to  teach  us 
what  paths  to  avoid  and  which  to  follow,  to  teach  us 
wherein  we  are  able  and  wherein  we  lack. 

To  classify  the  work  was  not  difficult.  In  the  one 
great  field  of  Philanthropy  was  it  all  embraced — its 
purpose  the  bettering  of  the  condition  of  those  unfortu- 
nate in  the  world,  its  success  uniform. 

From  London  conies  a  most  interesting  report,  which, 
headed  "  Philanthropic  Work,"  has  been  divided  into 
four  subdivisions:  Religious,  Educational,  Recreative  and 
Charitable.  The  first  embraces  Sabbath  afternoon  ser- 
vices for  working  girls,  at  which  are  conducted,  by  vol- 
unteers, singing,  Bible  reading,  and  a  short  address; 
Sabbath  classes  at  the  free  schools,  at  which  religious 
instruction  is  given  and  prayers  are  taught  in  Hebrew 
and  in  English,  also  by  volunteers. 

Under  the  head  of  Educational  come  the  Jewish  free 
schools,  infants',  primary,  high  and  normal,  under  the 
supervision  and  partial  instruction  of  volunteers;  and 
in  connection  with  these,  some  cooking  and  sewing 
classes.  In  connection  with  these  schools,  are  provided 
penny  dinners  for  the  children.  Fortunately,  in  our 
country,  the  public  school  system  is  such  as  to  offer  the 
chance  of  acquiring  an  ordinary  education  to  all,  irre- 
spective of  race  or  creed,  and  to  bring  together,  under 
one  roof,  children  of  all  classes  and  religions.  We  are 
thus  enabled  to  throw  whatever  of  force  we  have  into 
the  furthering  of  the  broader  training  of  hand  with 


220  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

mind— of  schools  which,  though  supported  and  super- 
vised by  Jewish  women,  are  open  to  all  alike. 

But  for  this  very  reason,  our  women  should  give 
more  time  and  attention  to  the  existing  public  schools, 
studying  their  nature,  their  defects  and  their  needs,  and 
endeavoring  to  use  all  their  influence  for  the  bettering 
of  these  schools. 

The  third  division,  Recreative,  presents  a  record  of 
glorious  work — work  in  which  our  sisters  across  the 
water  are  in  quantity,  though  not  in  quality,  ahead  of 
us.  There  are  girls'  clubs,  in  which  mutual  entertain- 
ment is  encouraged;  in  which,  while  some  sew,  others 
read,  speak,  or  furnish  music,  and  once  a  week  a  con- 
cert and  dance  are  given  by  the  ladies  interested  in  the 
clubs.  There  are  others,  at  which  the  ladies  from  the 
West  End  of  London  entertain  the  girls  at  Sunday  tea 
parties,  and,  with  music,  stories  and  pleasant  chat,  bring 
a  refinement  into  the  lives  of  the  girls,  which  would 
reach  and  influence  them  in  no  other  way.  There  are 
fortnightly  free  concerts  for  working  men  and  women, 
well  attended  and  enjoyed. 

There  are  what  are  called  the  Children's  Happy 
Evenings,  at  which  three  hundred  and  fifty  children 
are  entertained  at  fortnightly  gatherings,  with  lively 
music,  by  magic  lantern  exhibitions  and  conjurers' 
wonderful  tricks,  and  by  dancing,  a  favorite  amuse- 
ment with  all.  They  are  encouraged  to  sing  in  chorus 
and  to  entertain  one  another  in  various  ways;  and  a  prize 
is  given  for  the  best  performance,  the  children  them- 
selves judging  its  merit.  At  some  of  the  Board  Schools, 
also,  such  "  Happy  Evenings "  are  of  frequent  occur- 
rence. 

There  are  summer  country  excursions  for  children, 
and  a  Convalescent  Home  for  adults,  one  for  children 
and  a  Home  for  incurables.  At  all  of  these,  at  regular 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  221 

intervals,  entertainments,  mostly  musical,  are  given, 
and  they  are  found  to  be  of  great  assistance  in  making 
cheerful  and  happy  their  unfortunate  inmates.  Best  of 
all,  several  of  the  ladies  who  have  country  homes, 
entertain  poor  children  there  during  the  summer. 

In  connection  with  the  synagogues  are  Women's 
Guilds,  the  purpose  of  some  of  which  is  to  provide  the 
sacred  vestments  for  the  synagogue,  and  its  decoration 
on  festival  occasions,  and  to  go  among  the  poor,  endeav- 
oring to  brighten  their  lives  by  social  entertainments. 
Two  deserve  special  mention: 

(i)  The  Hampstead  Personal  Service  Guild.  I  quote 
a  paragraph  concerning  it: 

"  Its  duties  consist  in  taking  charge  of,  and  befriending 
one  or  two  or  three  families  residing  in  any  part  of  Lon- 
don; visiting  the  sick  and  suffering  at  their  homes  and 
in  hospitals;  teaching  children  who  through  infirmity 
are  unable  to  go  to  school;  reading  aloud  to  the  sick,  the 
blind,  and  at  various  institutions,"  etc. 

The  other,  worthy  of  special  mention,  is  the  Ham- 
mersmith Synagogue  Guild,  W.  E.,  the  only  one  in  which 
occurs  the  word  mutual — its  purpose  mutual  improve- 
ment and  recreation  and  philanthropic  work. 

The  need  of  more  associations  for  mutual  improve- 
ment among  us  is  very  great. 

The  section  of  Charitable  work  consists  of  various 
societies  for  furnishing  financial  aid  and  clothing,  assist- 
ing the  sick,  for  district  nursing,  visiting  hospitals  and 
other  institutions;  of  workrooms  where  mothers  of  fami- 
lies are  taught  to  sew,  and  garments  are  given  out  to  be 
made  for  the  poor,  by  the  poor,  at  moderate  cost.  A  sale 
is  held  in  these  workrooms  once  a  year,  where  all  gar- 
ments are  sold  at  cost  price.  There  are  workrooms  in 
which  girls  are  taught  high-class  needlework,  embroid- 
ering and  dressmaking. 


222  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

There  is  a  society  for  granting  to  the  poor  loans  of 
from  one  to  ten  pounds,  without  interest  and  payable  in 
weekly  installments.  A  committee  visits  every  appli- 
cant for  help,  and  in  accordance  with  its  report  a  loan  is 
made.  Last  year  330  loans  amounting  to  ^1872  ($9360) 
were  made.  The  society  was  founded  in  1844,  and  since 
that  time  nearly  12,000  loans  have  been  made.  Many  of 
its  present  subscribers  were  once  its  beneficiaries.  In 
conjunction  with  this  society  is  a  Relief  Society,  which 
gives  needed  things  to  those  borrowers  who  are  inca- 
pacitated from  work  by  illness.  There  is  a  labor  registry 
for  men  and  women.  There  are  soup  kitchens,  a  diet 
kitchen,  whence  patients  (20—30)  are  supplied  with  hot 
dinners  at  their  homes,  in  accordance  with  the  instruc- 
tions of  the  medical  attendant;  penny  dinners  for  Jewish 
school  children,  at  which  soup,  Irish  stew  and  bread  are 
served  by  five  volunteer  lady  waitresses  daily. 

There  is  an  association  for  preventive  and  rescue  work, 
called  Rosaline  House,  where  friendless  girls,  native  or 
foreign,  may  find  a  home  till  claimed  by  friends  or  find- 
ing employment.  One  hundred  and  seventy  girls  were 
taken  care  of  there  last  year.  It  also  provides  board 
and  lodging  for  working  girls  at  seven  shillings  per  week. 
Lastly,  a  Rescue  House,  accommodating  twenty  inmates, 
but  fortunately  rarely  full.  Girls  are  here  trained  in 
domestic  service  and  laundry  work.  Their  stay  is  un- 
limited. After  a  year,  or  at  most  eighteen  months,  of 
the  strict  but  kind  discipline  of  the  place,  they  are  found 
trustworthy,  and  fit  for  service.  The  matron  continues 
her  supervision  after  they  are  placed  in  situations;  and 
ladies  take  a  personal  interest  in  these  girls.  This  society 
acts  in  conjunction  with  the  Travelers'  Aid  Society. 

In  this  report  there  is  no  mention  of  kindergartens  or 
creches,  nor  of  manual  training  schools;  and  we  have  as 
yet  had  no  reply  to  the  letter,  asking  information  on  this 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  223 

point.  This  report  from  London  is  typical  of  other  cities 
in  England. 

From  the  other  countries  of  Europe,  we  regret  to  say, 
we  have  been  unable  to  secure  replies  to  our  requests  for 
reports;  but  from  a  hasty  glance  at  some  of  those  gath- 
ered in  the  various  bureaus  of  the  Fair,  we  are  justified 
in  saying  that  the  work  in  these  countries  is  similar  to 
that  in  London. 

Time  will  not  permit,  for  our  own  country,  more  than 
a  report  curtailed  so  as  to  give  merely  an  idea  of  the  ex- 
tent and  character  of  what  is  being  done,  and  the  mention 
of  a  few  societies,  whose  work  especially  deserves  exten- 
sion and  imitation.  The  full  reports,  however,  are  open 
to  the  inspection  of  any  one  interested. 

In  all  cities,  large  and  small,  exist  aid  societies,  inde- 
pendent or  as  auxiliaries  of  institutions  or  of  a  central 
relief  society;  societies  for  the  distribution  of  food,  cloth- 
ing, fuel,  money  and  whatever  may  be  needed  for  imme- 
diate relief.  There  are  orphan  asylums,  hospitals,  homes 
for  aged,  infirm  and  incurables — almost  as  many  as  are 
needed — with  auxiliary  sewing  societies,  etc.,  for  all. 
There  are  societies  in  plenty,  sewing  for  the  very  poor; 
but  there  are  too  few  societies  which  teach  the  very  poor 
and  helpless  to  sew  for  themselves — the  adult  poor,  I 
mean.  There  is  in  almost  every  large  city  a  training 
school  for  nurses;  and  the  Hebrew  charity  associations 
send  out  one  or  more  district  nurses.  There  are  Sabbath 
Schools  to  teach  the  children  of  the  poor  something  of 
their  religion,  and  much  of  the  form  to  which  the  adher- 
ents of  orthodoxy  cling.  These  Sabbath  Schools  are 
almost  exclusively  instituted,  managed  and  taught  by 
the  orthodox  among  us,  and  good  work  have  they  accom- 
plished. Yet  it  is  time  we  of  the  reform  temples  should 
bestir  ourselves  in  this  direction,  bringing  new  methods 
and  new  ideas  to  fertilize  the  old  soil.  To  these  Sabbath 


224  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Schools  are  being  added  classes  for  teaching  industrial 
branches;  but  while  beneficial  in  their  small  way,  they 
cannot  benefit  the  world  as  they  should,  so  long  as  they 
are  mere  adjuncts  to  schools  started  for  other  purposes. 
There  are  a  number  of  industrial  schools  (the  New  York 
Hebrew  Charities  support  one),  but  there  are  not  enough, 
nor  are  those  that  exist  good  enough. 

I  must  go  on  to  speak  of  the  charities  of  New  York 
and  a  few  other  cities,  because  they  were  the  only  ones 
to  send  a  full  account  of  work  in  time  to  be  incorporated 
in  this  report;  so  that  if  any  of  the  other  cities  feel  that 
they  are  being  passed  over,  they  have  but  themselves  to 
blame. 

Almost  every  feature  of  the  London  work  has  its 
counterpart  in  New  York,  but  there  are  one  or  two 
features  lacking  there  and  in  other  cities.  I  should 
perhaps  modify  this  by  saying  that  my  accounts  omit 
mention  of  some  features,  from  which  I  have  concluded 
that  they  do  not  exist.  There  is  no  loan  association, 
such  as  there  is  in  London — an  institution  much  needed, 
and  often  the  means  of  preventing  the  first  gift  of 
charity,  the  first  step  on  the  road  to  pauperism.  Rosa- 
line House  has  no  counterpart  among  us,  butkshould 
have  one.  For  a  Rescue  Home  there  is  happily  little 
need. 

The  time  and  attention  given  to  and  for  the  beneficial 
results  of  recreative  work  among  the  poor  in  London 
are  but  faintly  shadowed  forth  on  this  side  of  the  water. 
The  absolute  need  of  the  poor  for  entertainment,  for 
relaxation,  is  just  dawning  upon  us  here.  The  reports 
of  the  various  large  institutions  show  that  the  apprecia- 
tion of  this  fact  is  just  beginning;  they  mention  the 
markedly  good  results  of  occasional  entertainments,  and 
endeavor  to  impress  upon  people  the  need  for  multiply- 
ing them.  The  Montefiore  Home  Auxiliary  Association 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  225 

is  the  only  one  which  gives  entertainments  at  regular 
intervals.  They  occur  weekly,  are  small  and  informal, 
'tis  true,  but  visitors  and  inmates  find  themselves  hap- 
pier and  brighter  for  them.  This  branch  of  philan- 
thropic work  in  institutions  and  among  the  poor  and 
working  classes  cannot  be  too  much  encouraged  nor  too 
widely  emulated. 

There  are  in  existence  several  working  girls'  clubs  for 
evening  instruction  ;  and  one — the  Working  Girls'  Alli- 
ance— for  mutual  improvement  and  culture.  This  is  a 
self-supporting  institution,  and  is  a  pioneer  in  a  field 
that  should  be  actively  and  energetically  worked. 

In  New  York  and  in  other  cities  during  the  past  few 
years  have  been  formed  in  the  various  congregations 
what  are  known  as  Sisterhoods.  They  teach  the  value 
of  personal  service,  and  practically  show  it  in  visiting 
the  sick  and  poor,  in  providing  and  teaching  creches 
and  kindergartens. 

Their  work  is  divided  into  four  sections: 

(1)  Visiting  the  poor; 

(2)  Work  in  Kindergartens,  etc.; 

(3)  Work  in  Sabbath  Schools  and  sewing  classes,  com- 
bining religious  and  practical  work;  and 

(4)  Work  among  working  girls. 

Prevention  is  their  watchword,  as  it  must  come  to  be 
that  of  us  all.  The  first  three  of  these  sections  are  in 
most  active  operation.  Work  among  working  girls  is 
being  pushed,  but  has  assumed  no  such  proportions  as 
it  should  and  will. 

In  addition  to  these  sisterhoods,  there  exists  in  Balti- 
more a  society  doing  much  the  same  work  but  on  a 
different  plan.  The  organization,  known  as  the  Daugh- 
ters in  Israel,  is  an  organization  composed  of  small 
bands  of  ten,  each  doing  the  special  work  itself  decides 
upon;  its  small  size  insures  all  workers  and  no  drones. 
15 


226  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Among  the  good  things  brought  into  existence  through 
its  instrumentality  are,  visiting  among  the  needy,  dress- 
making classes,  the  establishing  of  a  fresh  air  fund  for 
the  care  of  sick  children,  the  instituting  of  a  temporary 
home,  where  Russian  immigrants  are  cared  for  during 
a  few  days  till  they  can  find  employment;  mothers' 
meetings,  at  which  kindly  advice  on  home  matters  is 
given  to  poor  mothers,  and  at  which  they  are  also  taught 
to  sew;  a  small  kitchen-garden  or  household  school,  and 
a  working  girls'  club  for  social  approach.  This  club 
holds  meetings  every  Saturday  evening;  often  there  are 
informal  talks  by  some  outsider  on  popular  subjects, 
such  as  physiology,  etc.  Here,  too,  their  sympathies 
have  been  quickened  for  those  most  unfortunate  in  this 
world — the  sick  and  absolutely  poor — and  they  find  that 
out  of  their  small  means  they  still  have  enough  to  give 
something  of  money,  of  time,  and  of  friendliness,  to 
help  those  poorer  than  themselves.  The  Daughters 
seek  to  procure  employment  for  specially  talented  girls. 
They  have  extended  their  influence  even  to  children. 
There  is  one  band  that  gives  such  things  as  children 
prize — fruit,  and  flowers,  and  candies,  and  good  food 
for  the  mind  in  entertaining  books.  The  Daughters  in 
Israel  may  feel  they  have  indeed  deserved  to  be  told, 
"  Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant." 

There  are,  too,  in  Baltimore,  congregational  societies 
"for  promoting  the  interests  of  the  congregations," 
furnishing  prizes  and  entertainments  for  their  Sabbath 
School  children  and  decorations  for  the  synagogue  on 
Holy  Days.  There  is  the  night  school  of  the  Hebrew 
Literary  Society,  arranged  primarily  to  meet  the  needs 
of  adult  immigrants,  to  teach  them  English  and  act  as 
an  Americanizing  influence.  For  the  more  advanced 
pupils  here,  the  history  of  the  United  States  is  taken  as 
a  textbook,  and  some  have  this  year  been  reading 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  227 

L/amb's  Tales  from  Shakespeare,  with  frequent  passages 
from  the  great  bard  himself.  Sunday  evening  lectures 
in  winter  are  a  feature  of  this  school;  but  the  best 
feature  is  the  fact  that  it  is  partially  supported  by  the 
small  tuition  fee  of  thirty  cents  a  month,  paid  by  the 
pupils,  and  giving  them  that  feeling  which  is  only 
theirs  who  know  that  they  are  not  a  burden  nor  a  drag 
on  others. 

In  Philadelphia,  the  institutions  deserving  special 
mention  are,  a  Wayfarers'  Lodge,  established  by  Rus- 
sian women  for  the  temporary  housing  and  feeding  of 
their  persecuted  brethren  driven  to  seek  new  homes; 
the  Household  School,  providing  as  an  adjunct  to  itself 
weekly  inspiriting  entertainments;  and  the  Personal 
Interest  Society,  composed  of  women,  each  of  whom 
looks  after  some  one  family,  inculcating  principles  of 
thrift,  and  cleanliness  and  culture,  and  seeing  that  the 
children  get  all  the  benefits  of  education  open  to  them. 

In  Rochester,  beside  the  general  run  of  societies,  there 
is  one  for  encouraging  and  distributing  good  reading 
among  children,  a  club  giving  monthly  entertainments, 
a  musical  society  and  a  Shakespeare  class. 

In  St.  L,ouis,  the  Mothers'  Club,  and  the  Pioneer 
Society,  a  society  established  for  mutual  culture  and 
improvement,  must  be  mentioned. 

In  Detroit  stands  forth  pre-eminent  the  Woman's 
Club,  established  on  the  fine  principle  of  bringing  rich 
and  poor,  women  of  all  social  conditions  together  in  fre- 
quent meetings,  that  they  may  learn  to  know  and  to 
help  one  another.  Sewing  classes,  readings,  lectures 
and  general  social  intercourse  are  its  work;  and  it  has 
proved  its  practicability  and  elevating  tendency  through 
the  several  years  of  its  existence. 

These  societies,  it  must  be  understood,  are  not  worthy 
above  others;  but  they  are  on  the  high  road  to  a  nobler 


228  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

manhood  and  womanhood,  and  in  the  van  of  progress, 
and  therefore  it  is  they  that  have  been  selected  for 
special  mention. 

We  could  not  do  without  what  some  are  pleased  to 
call  more  practical  work.  The  time  will  soon  come 
when  all  will  see  that  we  can  still  less  do  without  such 
societies  as  these,  unless  we  wish  to  sink  back  into  the 
mire  of  pure  materialism  and  toward  an  animal  existence. 

There  are  among  the  Jewish  women  various  benefit 
and  secret  societies,  such  as  the  Treue  Schwestern, 
whose  purpose  is  mutual  aid  in  cases  of  sickness  and 
death,  and  noble  friendship  and  endeavor,  together  with 
some  charitable  work  among  the  very  poor. 

There  is  in  existence,  too,  a  society  called  Sons  of 
Zion,  with  branches  called  Daughters  of  Zion,  whose 
aim  is  (I  read  from  the  report),  "  To  propagate  the 
national  idea  among  the  women  of  Israel,  by  meetings, 
lectures  on  history  and  literature,  and  a  circulating 
library. 

"  Secondly,  to  assist  Jewish  colonization  in  Palestine, 
with  the  special  aim  of  colonizing  the  Russian  Jews. 
These  societies,  comprising  in  all  about  30,000,  exist  in 
Russia,  France,  Germany,  England,  and  a  small  number 
in  America,  as  the  Americans  think  not  at  all  on  this 
subject." 

The  existence  of  this  society  will  be  a  surprise  to 
many  of  us;  yet,  while  we  do  not  in  the  least  share  in 
the  national  idea,  in  fact,  scarcely  comprehend  it  and 
strongly  oppose  it,  we  can  all  see  here  in  the  colonization 
of  Palestine  another  chance  of  bringing  happiness  to  the 
persecuted  of  our  religion. 

Two  institutions  mentioned  in  the  London  report, 
and  entirely  wanting  here,  are:  "  The  Children's  Happy 
Evenings,"  and  the  entertainment  of  poor  children  by 
individuals  at  their  summer  homes.  lyet  us  hope  the 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  229 

mere  mention  of  this  fact  will  bring  about  the  filling  of 
the  want,  and  another  year  show  that  in  nothing  are  we 
behind  our  co-religionists  in  England. 

Time  devoted  to  rendering  childhood  happy  is  well 
spent;  for  happy  childhood  is  the  gateway  to  bright  and 
energetic  manhood.  Children's  spirits  should  be  kept 
high,  children's  bodies  should  be  well  fed — and  therefore 
there  should  be  more  penny  dinners  established;  chil- 
dren's minds  should  be  well  fed,  and  their  hands  well 
trained — and  therefore  I  beg  leave  to  call  your  attention 
to  the  need  for  more  manual  training  schools;  to  the  need 
of  emulating  that  society  whose  purpose  is  to  aid  those 
children  who,  through  nature  or  accident,  are  prevented 
from  availing  themselves  of  the  privileges  of  childhood; 
"  to  teach  children  who  through  infirmity  are  incapaci- 
tated from  going  to  school;  and  also  to  teach  or  read  to 
the  sick  or  blind  at  their  homes  or  in  institutions." 

Individuals  can  do  this;  yet  associated  work  in  this, 
as  in  all  things,  can  do  more;  and  better  methods  and 
results  can  be  attained. 

To  the  sewing  of  garments  for  the  poor,  by  the  poor, 
I  also  desire  to  call  attention.  In  New  York  there  exists 
a  Young  Ladies'  Society,  which  gives  work  to  the  very 
poor,  to  be  sewed  for  distribution  by  the  Hebrew  Relief 
Society.  But  the  like  society  in  London  is  on  a  higher 
round  of  the  ladder,  since  it  arranges  that  the  poor  work 
directly  for  the  poor,  and  be  paid  by  them.  This  work 
should  be  copied. 

There  are  three  institutions  in  my  own  city  which  I 
must,  however,  mention.  Though  not  entirely  woman's 
work,  women  have  done  more  than  their  one-half  share 
in  starting,  managing  and  providing  for  them,  and  work- 
ing in  them — and  therefore  I  include  them. 

In  addition  to  the  general  run  of  philanthropic  socie- 
ties in  which  women  are  interested,  we  have  the  Jewish 


230  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Manual  Training  School — the  model  of  its  kind  in  the 
United  States,  and  an  institution  of  which  we  are  justly 
proud.  We  have  the  Blise  Frank  Fund,  of  which  we  are 
equally  proud,  for  its  application  of  funds  to  the  support 
and  bringing  up  of  orphans  in  private  families  has  proved 
so  successful  that  it  has  demonstrated  this  manner  of 
caring  for  the  parentless  to  be  no  longer  an  experiment, 
but  a  finer,  a  better  and,  to  the  practical,  a  more  eco- 
nomical way  of  solving  this  great  question.  In  this 
country,  this  fine  woman,  following  the  plan  laid  out  by 
the  late  lamented  Dr.  Hirsch,  of  Philadelphia,  is  the  first 
woman  to  apply  money  to  this  purpose. 

In  addition  to  this  there  is  about  to  be  formed  a  Social 
Settlement  of  Jewish  Young  People.  While  it  will  be 
non-sectarian,  welcoming  all  co-workers,  and  doing  its 
work  among  whom  it  may  find,  yet  its  main  purpose  is 
the  elevation  of  the  Jews,  in  whose  midst  the  settlement 
will  be  situated.  Its  work  will  not  be  charitable,  but  phil- 
anthropic. The  distinction  between  these  terms  should 
always  be  carefully  noted.  The  raising  of  the  people 
from  their  outward  and  inward  degradation,  the  helping 
of  working  men  and  women,  girls  and  boys,  to  learn,  to 
cultivate  themselves — to  play  and  relaxation  and  recre- 
ation— that  is  their  mission — to  inculcate  the  principles 
of  independence,  of  self-dependence,  of  self-reliance ;  by 
living  and  working  directly  among  them  to  become  their 
friends,  not  their  benefactors  nor  patrons,  and  thus  to 
teach  and  to  influence  them,  as  only  personal  contact  can 
teach  and  influence. 

Time  will  not  permit  me  to  go  more  into  detail.  I 
repeat — whatever  reports  are  in  our  hands  are  at  the  dis- 
posal of  anyone  interested.  There  is  also  a  possibility 
that  they  may  be  printed. 

These  organizations  are  Jewish  women's  organizations, 
doing  work  almost  exclusively  among  Jewish  people. 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  231 

Yet  it  must  not  be  judged  from  this  that  Jewish  women 
are  engaged  in  exclusively  Jewish  charity  (there  is 
scarcely  a  charity  in  which  our  Jewish  women  are  not 
represented),  nor  that  Christians  take  no  interest  in  them. 
While  the  management  is  Jewish,  and  the  great  majority 
of  cases  assisted  are  Jewish,  many  of  these  societies, 
notably  the  hospitals,  are  non-sectarian.  While  the 
larger  part  of  the  money  expended  is  from  Jewish  purses, 
Christians  almost  invariably  extend  a  helping  purse 
when  called  upon.  And  I  believe  that  to-morrow,  if  the 
very  desirable  abrogation  of  ALL  sectarian  charity  could 
be  effected,  and  all  join  hands  in  helping  the  poor— our 
poor — the  Jewish  poor  could  be  quite  as  well  taken  care 
of  as  they  are  now. 

While  many  of  the  associations  are  dignified  by  the 
name  of  organizations,  they  scarcely  deserve  it.  They 
are  merely  associations;  for  work  done  with  willing 
heart  and  hand  may  yet  not  be  done  in  the  best  way, 
nor  so  as  to  do  the  most  good — present  good  often  lead- 
ing to  future  ill.  There  is  too  much  and  too  little  in 
these  associations — too  much  unjust  distribution,  too 
much  consideration  of  the  present;  too  little  real  justice, 
too  little  thoughtful  consideration  of  the  past  and  for 
the  future.  There  are  too  few  ounces  of  prevention, 
too  many  pounds  of  so-called  cure.  The  wound  is  but 
lightly  covered,  and  again  and  again  breaks  open. 

While  there  is  need  of  more  and  greater  organization, 
there  is  need  of  more  and  greater  personal  service;  and 
while  personality  and  its  expression  in  action  accom- 
panies organization,  yet,  with  greater  organization,  there 
is  always  danger  that  too  much  dependence  may  be 
placed  on  the  work  of  the  organization  as  a  whole  and 
too  little  on  that  of  its  individual  members.  To-day, 
the  growing  understanding  of  the  importance  of  each 
is  counteracting  this  danger.  In  various  societies  of 


232  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

personal  service,  but  especially  in  the  social  settlement 
idea,  is  this  service  being  trained  to  perfect  work.  It  is 
the  personal  service  which  does  not  go  and  give,  but 
goes  and  gets;  which  finds  what  there  is,  and  strives  to 
lead  it  forth — whether  it  be  ability  to  work,  to  act,  to 
think,  to  speak,  to  smile,  or  what  not.  That  is  personal 
service  in  a  twofold  sense,  the  service  to  the  served  and 
to  the  server. 

This  has  been  a  record  of  organized  work,  so  called. 
There  is  to  follow  this  a  paper  on  organization.  Why 
devote  time  to  the  consideration  of  this  subject  ?  Do 
we  need  to  study  the  matter  more  closely  ?  Are  we 
Jewish  women  particularly  interested,  and  if  so,  why? 
Are  we  organized  ?  and  if  not,  should  we  be  ?  and  why  ? 

If  you  will  give  me  your  indulgent  attention  for  some 
minutes  longer,  I  will  endeavor,  with  your  kind  permis- 
sion, to  answer  these  questions. 

The  reports  just  read  sufficiently  indicate  the  extent 
and  the  limits,  the  breadth  and  the  narrowness  of  organi- 
zations of  Jewish  women.  There  naturally  arise  in  the 
mind  the  questions:  Do  these  reports  contain  anything 
new  ?  Have  they  any  value  ?  Their  value  lies  in  the 
light  they  cast  on  past  and  future.  Every  report  of  work 
done  is  like  the  two-faced  god  of  the  Romans:  One  face 
looking  down  the  vista  of  the  past,  the  other  turned  to 
the  vision  of  the  future.  Above  the  face  of  the  past  is 
written  in  clear,  white  light,  "  Follow — Follow — Lead  !  " 
Above  the  face  of  the  future  stand  forth  in  changing 
roseate  hues,  the  words,  "  Lead — Lead — Follow !  "  But 
to  him  of  clear  sight  appears  high  above  both  a  vision 
of  one  young,  and  straight,  and  strong,  with  forward, 
upward  gaze,  leading,  on  a  steep,  precipitous  slope,  a  man, 
bent  by  the  weight  of  years,  with  glance  restlessly  wan- 
dering to  and  fro,  whose  guiding  finger  points  the  way 
between  the  threatening  obstacles  his  eye  discerns. 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  233 

A  purpose  of  this  paper  is  to  bring  prominently  for- 
ward the  work  and  power  of  organization.  Why  empha- 
size the  work  of  organization  rather  than  that  of  the 
individual?  To  emphasize  one  is  to  emphasize  both. 
Let  us  try  to  see  this  clearly. 

There  are  some  words  and  ideas  which  are  part  and 
parcel  of  a  time  or  era,  words  that  are  constantly  on  the 
lip — ideas  that  consciously  or  unconsciously  are  em- 
bodied in  almost  every  speech.  So  common  become 
their  use  and  abuse,  that  for  the  general  public,  the  aver- 
age person,  their  meaning  is  entirely  lost.  Instead  of 
being  alive  with  vitality  and  force,  conveying  in  one 
word  what  would  before  have  required  sentences  to  ex- 
plain, they  are  mere  empty  phrases  rousing  no  thought, 
not  understood,  rousing  no  desire  to  understand.  Among 
such  words  in  our  own  day,  are  organization,  individual- 
ity, independence — terms  often  used  together,  paradox- 
ically it  may  seem  at  first  view,  but  intimately  connected 
as  hand  and  brain.  To  recall  the  real  meaning  of  these 
terms,  to  look  into  them  and  bare  to  the  light  the  truths 
covered  by  the  cobwebs  of  time  and  use,  is  to  bring  back 
for  us  their  original  force. 

What  is  organization  ? 

An  organ  is  an  instrument  through  which  some  im- 
portant end  is  accomplished,  a  medium  through  which 
the  functions  of  life  are  carried  on. 

An  organization  is  the  differentiating,  or  grouping 
together  of  capacities  for  performing  the  functions  neces- 
sary to  one  end,  the  act  of  endowing  with  organs  or  the 
state  of  being  so  endowed,  i.  e.,  of  having  various  powers 
so  co-ordinated,  as  by  united  action  to  render  possible 
the  accomplishment  of  one  great  purpose,  of  having  that 
which  we  call  Life. 

Association  and  organization  are  often  used  inter- 
changeably, and  it  therefore  becomes  necessary  for  us  to 


234  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

bear  in  mind  the  distinction  between  the  two.  An 
association  is  a  number  of  persons  banded  together  in 
pursuit  of  one  end,  each  of  whom  may  be  doing  the 
same  thing.  An  organization  is  such  an  association  of 
units,  in  which  the  work  necessary  to  the  attainment  of 
an  end  is  ordered,  divided,  apportioned  among  its  mem- 
bers, so  that  each  becomes  an  organ  through  which  a 
special  part,  and  that  part  only,  of  its  work  is  to  be 
done. 

Primal  nature  was  unorganized.  The  Fiat  Lux  of 
the  Eternal  Spirit,  which  separated  light  from  darkness, 
and  made  visible  the  surrounding  chaos,  was  the  first 
step  toward  organization;  the  separation  of  the  warring 
elements  of  chaos,  that  each  might  bring  forth  or  sup- 
port after  its  kind,  made  possible  all  subsequent  life. 
When  from  the  first  simple  forms  of  life,  organless,  in 
which  all  parts  equally  and  alike  performed  the  func- 
tions necessary  to  existence,  was  differentiated  the  first 
apparatus  for  digestion  and  circulation,  primitive  organi- 
zation came  into  being. 

As  differentiation  increased,  co-ordination  accompanied 
it,  and  organization  became  higher  in  proportion  to  the 
number  and  dissimilarity  of  parts,  until,  in  the  rise  of 
the  scale  of  life  was  reached  the  wonderful  complexity 
of  man  with  his  nature  physical,  mental,  spiritual. 

Man,  in  his  social  development,  followed  in  the  foot- 
steps of  nature.  When  he  formed  the  first  group  for 
defence  against  wild  beasts,  for  protection  against  the 
wilder  elements,  when  some  watched,  while  others 
worked,  man  made  the  first  movement  on  the  road 
toward  the  magnificent  complexity  of  modern  organi- 
zations and  social  relations. 

In  the  realm  of  man  as  in  that  of  nature,  differen- 
tiation is  the  law  of  progress;  in  proportion  to  the  unity 
and  diversity,  the  number  and  complexity  of  its  parts. 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  235 

organization  became  great  and  perfect.  Perfect  subor- 
dination of  its  units  to  one  supreme  purpose,  perfect 
co-ordination  of  dissimilar  parts,  perfect  performance  of 
diverse  functions  with  one  underlying  intention,  are  the 
essence  of  a  great  and  powerful  organization,  and  alone 
make  possible  the  carrying  out  of  its  design. 

The  principles  that  underlay  the  first  simple  organi- 
zations are  the  principles  that  underlie  the  complex 
organizations  of  our  day. 

The  necessity  of  satisfying  man's  nature,  of  satisfying 
his  needs,  physical,  mental,  moral,  called  into  action  his 
diverse  endowments.  Man's  increasing  needs  and  wants 
brought  about  the  appreciation  and  application  of  his 
various  faculties  and  varying  capacities.  The  strong 
were  called  on  to  defend,  the  wise  to  counsel,  the  able  to 
lead  or  to  do;  as  association  increased,  latent  ability  was 
made  patent,  was  called  on  and  developed,  work  and 
play  were  divided  and  apportioned,  all  worked  for  each, 
and  each  worked  for  all,  under  the  guiding  light  of  one 
common  inspiration.  Because  men  saw  that  what  one 
can  do  with  utmost  difficulty  another  can  do  with 
utmost  ease;  because  they  recognized  that  what  is 
impossible  to  one  becomes  possible  to  many  acting  as 
one;  because  they  recognized  that  division  is  multipli- 
cation, that  many,  each  of  whom  is  doing  a  part,  can 
bring  about  results  more  quickly  and  better  than  can 
one  who  does  all,  therefore  did  they  organize. 

Organization  has  been  likened  to  the  human  body 
with  its  various  members.  Organizations  among  primi- 
tive peoples  and  in  primitive  civilizations  may  be  likened 
to  a  body  with  head  commanding  and  members  obeying, 
the  head  alone  recognized  as  of  importance  or  value, 
the  members  counted  as  mere  tools.  Absolutism,  subor- 
dination, strength,  are  its  underlying  principles,  offence 
and  defence  its  purpose.  In  the  Middle  Ages  the  head 


236  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

was  still  supreme,  but  the  body  was  recognized  in  its 
entirety,  and  was  given  a  higher  place  than  in  time 
before.  Some  of  its  members,  having  proved  their  im- 
portance, were  regarded  as  of  value  to  the  whole;  the 
ideas  of  might  and  subordination  still  underlay  its 
development,  but  slowly  and  surely  the  ideas  of  the 
individual  and  independence  were  forcing  their  way  to 
the  light  of  day,  even  though  as  yet  it  was  but  the  inde- 
pendence of  the  few  powerful  individuals  which  was 
maintained,  even  though  it  was  the  privilege  of  the  few, 
not  the  right  of  all.  The  growth  of  these  ideas  caused 
the  development  of  the  conservatism  and  the  exclusion 
of  the  Middle  Ages — the  desire  to  keep  things  in  statu 
quo,  to  retain  the  power  and  privilege  gained;  and  the 
endeavor  to  keep  down  and  out  the  struggling,  striving, 
awakening  mass  of  humankind,  until  from  the  very 
nature  of  the  case,  the  lines,  drawn  closer  and  more 
close,  tighter  and  more  tight,  could  no  longer  stand  the 
strain  from  within,  the  pressure  from  without,  the  energy 
of  the  one  and  the  force  of  the  other.  They  broke,  and 
after  an  interval  of  turmoil  and  mingling  and  striving 
for  place,  arose  the  bright  form  of  modern  organization, 
with  its  far-reaching  arms,  its  body  healthy  and  strong 
and  beautiful,  because  at  last  head  and  members  were 
seen  to  be  of  equal  value  and  import.  It  is  a  body  with 
a  soul  animating,  directing,  the  head  no  longer  com- 
manding, but  guiding,  co-ordinating,  answering  only  to 
the  impulses  sent  from  the  members;  the  members  no 
longer  obeying,  but  co-operating.  From  the  heart 
through  each  member  pulses  its  life,  while  the  animat- 
ing soul  determines  the  nature  and  quality  of  its  work. 
It  is  no  longer  individual  and  independence  which  hold 
its  underlying  ideas,  but  these  have-overflowed  from  the 
narrow  limits  of  those  words  into  the  larger  compass  of 
Individuality  and  Interdependence.  It  is  no  longer 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  237 

conservatism,  exclusion,  stand-still,  which  are  the  watch- 
words of  the  time,  but  liberalism,  advancement,  inclu- 
sion, growth  and  progress,  not  in  straight  and  narrow 
lines,  but  in  ever  widening  circles,  extending  the  bounds 
of  their  influence,  their  usefulness,  their  power. 

Individuality  and  interdependence,  individual  and 
independence — they  sound  alike.  Are  they  not  so? 
No,  and  again,  no.  Individual  is  simply  that  which  is 
indivisible — one — a  unit.  Individuality  is  that  quality 
by  which  a  man — a  unit — is  distinguished  from  every 
other  unit,  that  which  is  inseparable  from  him,  which 
belongs  to  him  and  to  him  alone  among  the  millions  of 
men  about  him.  Independence  is  the  negative  of  depen- 
dence, and  is  but  a  relative  term — some  object  or  force 
of  which  one  is  independent  is  always  understood. 
Absolute  independence  cannot  exist  in  the  universe,  for 
if  a  man  were  independent  of  all  other  men,  he  would 
still  be  dependent  on  Nature,  on  the  Higher  Power 
immanent  in  every  object  of  which  his  senses  give  him 
cognizance. 

Interdependence  is  the  expression  of  an  absolute 
truth — the  highest  knowledge  to  which  we  can  attain; 
for  the  recognition  of  absolute  truth,  and  the  endeavor 
to  make  it  live,  are  knowledge  no  longer,  but  wisdom. 
Interdependence  acknowledges  that  every  being,  every 
thing,  is  dependent  on  every  other  being  or  thing,  that 
which  affects  one  affects  all,  that  we  are  simply  parts  of 
that  great  organization  which  we  call  the  world. 

Independence  separates;  interdependence  joins.  Inde- 
pendence, individualism,  selfishness,  tyranny  co-exist; 
interdependence,  individuality,  altruism,  freedom  live 
together. 

Men's  awakening  to  the  knowledge  of  their  mutual 
need  of  one  another  has  been  a  bond  to  hold  them  close. 
It  has  become  crystal  clear  to  men  that  association  is  a 


238  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

necessity,  a  law  of  man's  existence;  that  only  by  and  in 
association  can  he  develop  his  faculties — the  faculties 
by  whose  possession  he  is  distinguished  from  the  brute, 
the  faculties  which  distinguish  him  from  every  other 
man.  Men  have  come  to  know  that  no  individual,  how- 
ever small  or  insignificant  he  may  seem  in  himself,  is 
small  or  insignificant  for  good  or  for  ill,  as  a  part  of  a 
great  whole;  men  have  learned  that  only  by  exchange 
of  services  does  it  become  possible  for  each  to  develop 
his  particular  aptitude  to  the  utmost  point  of  perfection, 
that  by  mutual  exchange  of  knowledge  and  the  lessons 
of  experience  are  men  saved  from  the  sadness  of  wasted 
energy  and  effort  and  of  useless  repetition.  Men  have 
found  that  mutual  easing  of  burdens  is  increase  of 
strength  and  power,  raises  and  widens  the  field  of  vision, 
induces  true  fellowship  and  happiness;  and  men  have 
learned  that  association  without  organization  means 
failure — while  association  with  organization  means  suc- 
cess. For  these  reasons  has  organization  become  the 
bidding  of  the  Zeitgeist,  and  individuality  and  inter- 
dependence a  cry  of  the  time.  For  these  reasons  are 
they  connected  close  as  brain  and  hand.  Because  men 
know  these  things,  do  we  find  organizations  in  every 
field  of  human  endeavor,  in  every  department  of  human 
thought  and  activity.  It  is  needless  to  weary  you  with 
a  rehearsal  of  them  in  detail;  the  records  are  daily 
before  you  in  reports,  newspapers  and  periodicals.  It  is 
needless  to  repeat  their  success.  To  speak  of  the  power 
of  organization  to-day  is  almost  to  perpetrate  a  truism. 
Yet  it  is  a  fact  on  which  we  cannot  place  too  much 
insistence,  and  therefore,  even  at  the  risk  of  some  weary- 
ing repetition,  let  us  attempt  a  short  analysis  of  this 
power  in  order  that  we  may  see  clearly  wherein  it  lies. 

Its  power  lies  (i)  in  its  association,  centralization  and 
concentration,  like  a  lens  focusing  the  scattered  rays  of 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN:  239 

light  and  heat  upon  one  point,  thus  piercing  the  shell 
of  difficulty  surrounding  any  problem.  Our  most  famil- 
iar stories  hold  embodied  the  great  truths  which  men 
need  to  know.  This  truth  was  long  ago  set  forth  in  the 
fable  of  the  bundle  of  sticks  a  father  gave  his  sons  to 
break.  The  bundle,  held  together  by  a  stout  cord,  re- 
sisted all  the  strength  of  each  of  the  sons  to  break  it. 
But  the  father,  loosening  the  cord  and  taking  one  stick 
from  the  bundle,  broke  that  with  ease,  and  all  the  others 
quite  as  readily.  Thus  was  brought  home  to  the  sons 
and  all  who  know  the  tale,  the  truth  that  in  a  union 
bound  together  by  the  cord  of  a  strong  purpose,  is 
strength  unconquerable,  the  strength  of  the  living  oak; 
but  the  bond  of  union  once  loosed,  the  strength  becomes 
but  as  the  strength  of  the  dead  branch. 

Its  power  lies  (2)  in  its  division  of  labor,  entailing  a 
smaller  amount  of  work  on  each;  its  consequent  develop- 
ment of  special  functions,  and  the  uncovering  of  hidden 
energies  and  capacities.  It  is  a  magic  wand  striking  the 
sparkling  waters  from  the  rock. 

(3)  In  its  economy  of  force  and  work,  of  time  and 
attention.  It  opens  wide  the  gates  of  opportunity,  and 
thus  throws  into  work  itself,  energy  which  would  other- 
wise be  dissipated  in  the  possibly  fruitless  search  for  an 
opening.  This  and  its  division  of  labor  enable  a  man 
to  put  his  whole  force  into  what  he  desires  to  do,  and 
in  consequence  of  the  skill  attained  in  the  practice  of 
his  specialty,  multiplies  production  by  turning  out  bet- 
ter work  in  shorter  time.  It  facilitates  communication, 
since  by  its  close  connection  any  information,  any  plan 
or  purpose,  demand  or  idea  given  the  head,  thrills  like 
an  electric  current  instantly  through  every  part. 

The  rushlight  in  the  hand  of  the  individual  search- 
ing for  the  way  to  an  end,  passing  through  the  trans- 
forming medium  of  its  crystallized  knowledge  and 


240  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

experience,  becomes  a  searchlight  making  clear  and 
bright  the  way  to  means  and  to  ends. 

Its  power  lies  (4)  in  the  inter-relation  of  its  parts,  their 
order  and  discipline,  and  the  relation  to  a  head,  without 
which  each  is  powerless,  but  which  itself  is  powerless 
without  the  parts.  Through  it  are  effected  combinations 
of  force,  disentangling  of  knotted  threads,  solving  of 
weighty  problems;  through  it  is  secured  balance  of 
parts,  which  insures  full  and  rounded  growth,  the  one 
indispensable  condition  of  success,  of  attainment  of  the 
highest. 

Its  power  lies  (5)  in  the  activity  it  induces  among  its 
members,  the  fire  of  interest  and  investigation  it  lights 
by  contact  of  mind  with  mind,  in  the  esprit  de  corps  it 
rouses,  calling  forth  the  best  that  is  in  one;  in  the  com- 
mon thought,  idea  or  principle  which  holds  it  together, 
insuring  mutual  comprehension  and  harmony;  laying 
constant  stress  on  the  fact  that  each  is  a  part  and  but  a 
part  of  one  great  whole,  working  in  different  ways  to 
one  great  end,  it  makes  prominent  the  ideas  of  inter- 
dependence and  unity,  unity  and  interdependence — as 
the  one  great  principle  of  growth,  of  progress,  of 
success. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  paper  to  attempt  a  history 
of  organization,  yet  some  preliminary  remarks  were  nec- 
essary to  its  design — the  bringing  home  to  the  Jews  the 
value  and  the  necessity  of  Organization. 

The  Jews  have  had  many  of  the  benefits,  and  suffered 
many  of  the  disadvantages  of  organization. 

The  average  Jew  has  had  certain  outward  character- 
istics, and  has  been  known  by  them.  Repression  and 
oppression  made  more  intense  his  native  intensity,  and 
at  the  same  time  prevented  normal  growth,  normal  differ- 
entiation of  work  and  character.  He  came  to  be  known 
by  the  qualities  which  the  world  about  him  called  into 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  241 

action  and  notice,  by  the  qualities  in  defence,  in  opposi- 
tion, if  I  may  coin  the  phrase;  his  qualities  in  conjunc- 
tion, his  feelings  and  actions  for  and  with  his  fellow- 
beings,  Jew  or  Gentile,  were  lost  sight  of,  or  deliberately 
hidden  by  men's  prejudgment.  In  spite  of  and  through 
the  covering  of  likeness  with  every  other  Jew  which 
custom  and  law  threw  over  him,  his  versatility  and 
adaptability  have  shown  themselves.  He  has  adopted 
the  ways  of  the  people  in  whose  midst  he  settled;  their 
virtues  and  vices  he  has  added  to  his  own.  He  has 
reflected  the  ideas  of  his  time,  even  if  on  account  of  his 
distance  from  the  world's  head  and  heart — only  when 
they  have  become  a  part  of  it,  and  not  at  their  birth. 

The  Jew  is  an  idealist.  He  has  been  guided  through 
Egyptian  gloom  and  darkness  by  the  light  that  never 
was  on  land  or  sea.  But  he  combines  with  the  ideal  the 
practical.  He  has  seen  the  stars  reflected  from  the  well- 
springs  on  the  earth  about  him;  and  so,  though  he  gazed 
at  the  stars,  he  has  fallen  into  no  waterpit  by  the  way- 
side, nor  into  the  abyss  of  loss  of  faith  and  trust  in  the 
eventual  triumpn  of  right  and  justice. 

And  because  he  combines  in  himself  the  practical 
with  the  ideal,  having  adopted  an  idea  he  studies  it, 
watches  closely  its  development  and  influence;  but  he 
himself  does  not  apply  it  till  he  is  certain  of  success. 
For  this  reason  the  modern  Jew,  while  identified  with 
all  the  movements  of  his  time,  has  yet  been  slow  to 
apply  the  principle  of  organization  to  his  own  concerns. 
He  has  not  properly  understood,  nor  appreciated  the 
great  and  growing  power  of  organization.  He  has  not 
fully  realized  its  importance  to  himself  and  his  history. 
He  is  beginning  to  do  so  now.  Heretofore,  he  has  needed 
no  formal  organization,  for  the  enforced  closeness  of 
relation  in  his  restricted  life,  his  peaceful  nature,  his 
feeling  of  brotherhood  have  led  him  unconsciously  into 
16 


242  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

means  and  ways  that  an  organization  would  consciously 
adopt.  Yet  he  has  done  less  organized  than  associated 
work;  he  has  done  much  and  great  individual  work,  with 
but  little  individualization.  Indeed,  the  greatest  work 
among  and  for  the  Jews  has  been  done  by  individuals 
who,  like  Moses  Mendelssohn,  were  gifted  above  their 
fellowmen,  felt  within  them  the  strain  and  stress  of  the 
spirit  of  liberty,  and  had  the  courage  of  their  convic- 
tions. But  individual  work  is  no  longer  adequate;  the 
work  that  is  to  be  done  requires  the  power  of  a  great, 
well-disciplined  army,  not  individual  prowess. 

The  Jews  needed  no  formal  organization.  They  need 
it  now — times  have  changed.  In  the  larger,  freer  life 
which  has  been  opened  to  them,  the  closeness  of  their 
union  has  been  broken;  their  restraining  fetters  loosed, 
the  spirit  of  organization  no  longer  animates  their 
doings;  in  the  reaction  from  the  close  band  of  a  com- 
mon fear,  there  is  danger  that  their  interdependence 
will  be  forgotten,  that  in  the  spirit  of  sauve  qui  peut, 
which  the  law  of  self-preservation  causes  to  show  itself, 
some  may  forget  that  each  is  his  brother's  keeper,  that 
every  act  done  by  any  Jew  casts  its  light  or  shade  on 
every  other  Jew;  there  is  danger  of  forgetting  that  so 
long  as  one  Jew  is  oppressed  or  suffers  because  he  is  a 
Jew,  so  long  are  Jews  bound  together  by  chains  of 
adamant,  which  no  straining  can  break,  which  none  can 
escape — so  long  must  they  unite  under  one  banner  to 
break  those  chains,  opposing  might  with  might,  until 
the  full  triumph  of  truth  and  justice  shall  break  them 
with  a  touch. 

The  Jew  has  been  a  Goth  rather  than  a  Greek,  if  I 
may  commit  the  Irish  bull.  He  has.  seen  the  details 
rather  than  the  whole,  the  present  rather  than  the 
future.  His  environment  compelled  him  to  do  this;  for 
the  present  moment  was  the  only  one  he  could  call  his 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  243 

own.  Now  that  restraining  laws  and  bars  are  down,  he 
can  and  must  look  at  the  whole  equally  with  the  details, 
he  must  look  to  the  future  more  than  to  the  present. 
Now  for  the  first  time,  the  future  is  his  to  make  of  it 
what  he  will.  Let  him  understand  and  rise  to  his 
opportunity  and  its  responsibility,  let  him  know  and 
understand  his  duty,  and  fulfil  it  through  light  and 
darkness,  as  in  past  ages,  to  the  glorious  end.  From 
the  past  and  present,  let  him  build  a  mould  for  the 
future.  Through  organized  and  united  endeavor  can  he 
alone  fulfil  this,  his  duty. 

The  Jewish  woman  has  shared  the  ideas  and  thoughts 
of  the  man.  She  has  aided  with  heart  and  hand  in  his 
work;  the  assistance  of  her  head  has  rarely  been  asked. 
Her  real  work  has  been  confined  to  the  home.  There  it 
is  she  has  made  her  influence  felt.  Though  the  Jew 
daily  thanked  God  that  he  had  not  been  born  a  woman, 
it  was  not  because  she  was  degraded  far  below  him,  as 
was  the  case  with  other  peoples,  but  because  she  was 
prohibited  from  the  observance  of  certain  religious  rites; 
and  he  considered  himself  much  more  fortunate  than 
she  was  since  in  the  performance  of  these  rites  he  was 
allowed  to  show  his  worship  and  devotion  to  his  Maker. 
For  this  it  was  that  he  daily  thanked  his  God.  To  the 
Jew,  the  mother  was  and  is  the  highest,  noblest  type  of 
womanhood.  In  the  home,  the  Jewish  woman  reigned 
as  queen;  to  her  were  left  the  performance  of  religious 
rites  in  the  household,  the  important  preparation  of  food, 
etc.  There  she  was  looked  up  to  and  regarded.  She 
was  adequately  protected  by  law;  her  position  was 
assured,  her  influence  very  great.  As  the  Jew  has 
reflected  the  ideas  of  his  time,  she  has  reflected  them 
through  him.  She  needed  to  make  no  movement  for 
herself,  she  has  made  no  movement  for  others,  but  has 
been  content  through  her  influence  to  impel  him  to 


244  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

move.  Because  her  work  has  been  done  largely  in  the 
home,  because  the  man  has  been  the  medium  of  commu- 
nication, the  Jewish  woman  has  been  a  little  slower  to 
feel  the  heart-beats  of  her  time  than  have  other  women. 

For  this  reason,  we  find  no  trace  of  organization  among 
Jewish  women  until  we  come  to  modern  associations  for 
charity — associations  often  independent  of  man  in  work, 
but  not  in  purse  nor  direction. 

Indeed,  woman  is  only  just  awakened  to  the  realiza- 
tion of  her  true  part  and  function  in  the  economy  of  the 
universe,  she  has  only  begun  to  feel  her  real  power  and 
to  exert  it  for  the  progress  of  her  fellow  creatures.  She 
has  been  a  passive  agent,  like  the  child  that  follows  the 
path  laid  out  for  it  with  no  responsibility,  no  duty  but 
obedience,  but  which,  when  the  time  comes  for  it  to 
throw  off  this  yoke  of  obedience,  and  act  for  itself,  be- 
comes a  responsible  agent  with  duties  to  fulfil,  with  the 
duty  paramount  to  properly  exercise  its  newly  gained 
freedom  and  power.  Individual  Jewish  women  have 
understood  the  meaning  of  the  new,  bright  star  in  the 
galaxy  of  heaven.  Individual  Jewish  women  have  been 
in  the  van  of  every  movement  of  the  time;  but  as  a 
body,  Jewish  women  are  behind  the  times,  and  have 
done  nothing. 

Is  there  any  reason  why  they  should  do  anything? 

Jewish  women  have  been  accused  of  being  bound 
down  to  the  narrow  limits  of  their  own  homes,  of  having 
no  interest  outside  of  them,  of  having  no  interest  in  the 
interests  of  women  as  women,  of  not  being  in  sympathy 
with  their  time.  No  greater  mistake  was  ever  made. 
The  Jewish  woman — every  Jewish  woman — is  interested 
in  all  that  interests  woman,  is  in  perfect  sympathy  with 
the  time;  but  custom  and  tradition,  and  the  misunder- 
standing, misconception  and  excluding  prejudice  of  the 
world  have  militated  against  her  showing  this  publicly. 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  245 

It  is  the  bounden  duty  of  the  Jewish  woman,  on  account 
of  this  misunderstanding  of  her  true  nature  and  inter- 
ests, to  make  these  manifest;  it  is  her  duty,  as  it  is  that 
of  all  Jews,  to  make  prominent  her  qualities  in  conjunc- 
tion, that  they  may  cast  in  the  shade  her  qualities  in 
opposition.  It  is  not  enough  that  she  be  in  sympathy 
with  her  time,  she  must  be  running  hand  and  hand 
with  it. 

The  question  whether  Jewish  women  should  have  an 
organization  cannot  be  answered  in  a  word,  and  I  beg 
leave  to  present  certain  matter  for  your  consideration. 

This  Congress  has  a  unique  place  among  the  various 
congresses.  Never  before  have  Jews  been  given  a  place 
on  a  plane  with  other  men,  not  to  defend  themselves  and 
their  doctrines,  but  to  present  them.  This  Congress 
holds  a  unique  place  among  Jewish  congresses.  Never 
before  in  the  history  of  Judaism  has  a  body  of  Jewish 
women  come  together  for  the  purpose  of  presenting 
their  views,  nor  for  any  purpose  but  that  of  charity  or 
mutual  aid;  never  before  have  Jewish  women  been 
called  upon  to  take  any  place  in  the  representation  of 
Judaism.  When  work  was  begun  toward  bringing 
together  a  body  of  Jewish  women  which  should  repre- 
sent Judaism  as  exemplified  by  its  women,  Judaism  in 
its  various  phases,  religious,  philanthropic,  educational, 
in  its  different  shades  of  opinion,  under  varying  influ- 
ences and  environments,  no  path  to  its  accomplishment 
was  visible;  the  field  had  to  be  surveyed  and  a  way 
found  through  virgin  ground  filled  with  the  boulders  of 
custom  and  tradition,  of  indifference  and  opposition  even. 
No  law  existed  against  such  a  convention,  but  the  step 
was  a  new  one,  and  the  difficulties  in  its  way  seemed 
insurmountable.  It  required  long  continued  and  untir- 
ing effort  first  to  arouse  interest,  then  to  rouse  to  action. 
Woman  took  no  part  in  religious  matters  outside  the 


246  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

home  and  Sabbath  Schools — what  could  she  have  to  say 
in  a  religious  congress  other  than  what  men  would  say 
better  than  she  could  ?  Jewish  women  had  never  before 
held  a  congress; — why  should  they  do  so  now  ?  Was 
the  matter  so  important  that  custom  should  be  disre- 
garded and  a  precedent  established  ?  The  chairman  and 
the  ladies  of  the  committee,  realizing  the  possibilities, 
the  responsibility  and  duty  of  this  great  opportunity, 
deemed  the  matter  was  important,  knew  that  the  women 
had  something  to  say  worth  saying.  They  determined 
not  only  that  a  precedent  should  be  established,  but  fol- 
lowed. They  set  to  work  with  a  will,  determined  that 
success  must  crown  their  efforts.  Practical  questions 
were  to  be  answered,  high  ideals  to  be  realized  !  How 
was  this  to  be  done?  Where  were  the  women  who 
could  best  represent  Judaism,  and  in  representing  Juda- 
ism represent  the  Jews  ?  That  there  were  many  who 
could  do  so,  no  one  for  a  moment  doubted,  but  how  to 
reach  them  was  the  question.  Had  there  been  a  central 
body  to  which  to  refer,  much,  very  much  wasted  time 
and  useless  effort  might  have  been  saved.  However, 
no  stone  was  left  unturned,  no  avenue  untried,  in  the 
search  to  find  the  proper  representative  women  and  to 
interest  them  in  the  project. 

But  it  required  untiring  energy,  earnest  zeal  and  enor- 
mous labor.  Their  efforts  were  rewarded  by  hearty 
response  and  sympathy  from  a  few,  and  a  growing  inter- 
est from  many,  which  showed  that  they  were  but 
embodying  in  concrete  form  a  latent  feeling  and  want. 
In  view  of  the  last  three  days,  I  venture  to  say  a  glori- 
ous success  has  crowned  their  efforts.  But  I  repeat,  it 
took  almost  a  year  of  continued,  repeated,  unceasing  and 
untiring,  determined  and  disinterested  hard  work  to 
bring  about  this  success.  The  interest  and  enthusiasm 
shown  the  past  days  has  caused  all,  everything  to  be 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  247 

forgotten  but  the  joy  in  this  magnificent  realization  of 
their  almost  Utopian  desires  and  dreams.  The  economy 
of  time,  of  toil,  of  energy,  which  would  have  resulted 
from  the  existence  of  an  organization  reaching  in  all 
directions  is,  I  am  sure,  sufficiently  manifest  to  you  and 
needs  no  insistence. 

In  the  course  of  its  work,  the  lack  of  many  things 
impressed  itself  on  the  Committee. 

The  lack  of  a  proper  understanding  of  our  position, 
our  responsibility,  our  duty  and  our  time,  the  lack  of 
widespread  knowledge  of  our  history,  and  even  of  our 
ethics,  of  those  things  wherein  we  differ  from  other 
religions,  of  the  difference  that  the  broken  gates  of  the 
Ghetto  have  made,  and  of  the  specter  of  indifference 
that,  like  a  worm  in  the  bud,  is  sapping  our  vitality, 
and  which,  unless  stamped  out,  will,  by  the  inertia  it 
induces,  sink  us  through  the  quicksands  of  apathy  to 
death. 

Then  it  was  that  the  Committee  determined  that  the 
Congress  should  flash  a  light  into  the  darkness,  that  it 
should  be  a  voice  to  proclaim  our  needs,  our  wants,  our 
difficulties,  our  facilities,  telling  our  women  wherein  we 
lack,  calling  to  them  in  clarion  tones:  "  Awake  !  arise  ! 
A  new  house  is  to  be  built  in  Israel,  which  shall  be  the 
home  of  all  that  is  fine,  and  true,  and  pure,  and  beauti- 
ful. From  it  shall  go  forth  an  influence  and  power 
which  shall  uplift  men,  its  atmosphere  shall  be  sweetness 
and  purity  and  light;  it  shall  be  builded  on  the  firm  rock 
of  principle  and  unselfish  love  and  enthusiasm.  It  shall 
be  a  vehicle  by  which  shall  be  conducted  to  the  top 
the  forces  accumulated  and  accumulating  in  hidden 
reservoirs  beneath  the  surface,  and  only  waiting  for  an 
outlet  to  rush  and  mingle  with  the  upper  air,  for  a  kiss 
of  fire  to  burst  into  a  flame  aspiring  to  the  stars,  a  beacon 
of  pure  light  scattering  the  darkness  like  the  rays  of  the 


248  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

morning  sun,  sending  its  messengers  of  life-giving 
warmth  and  brightness,  of  hope,  and  love,  and  beauty 
into  every  tiniest  hidden  nook  and  cranny  of  the  earth." 

It  was  determined  that  the  Congress  should  not  be  a 
mere  ephemeral  success,  but  that  its  memory  should  live 
in  a  lasting  monument — a  National  Jewish  Woman's 
Organization;  an  organization  which  shall  unite  in  true 
fellowship  and  noblest  endeavor  all  thinking  Jewish 
women,  which  shall  be  a  means  and  medium  of  inter- 
change of  ideas  and  thoughts,  and  projects  and  services; 
which  shall  encourage  jousts  and  tournaments  of  mind 
on  ground  where  she  o'erthrown  shall  rise  like  Antaeus, 
with  strength  renewed  from  touch  of  mother  earth; 
which  through  knowledge  and  experience  shall  beget 
wisdom,  and  from  whose  head  shall  spring  Minerva-like 
a  free  and  fiery  spirit,  animating,  actuating,  directing  to 
all  things  good  and  true  and  beautiful. 

We  need  a  wider  organization.  We  have  some  organ- 
izations 'tis  true,  but  you  have  seen  that  they  are  all  con- 
fined to  charity,  they  do  for  others — we  need  to  be  taught 
our  duty  to  ourselves;  they  go  and  give — we  need  to  be 
taught  that  to  go  and  get  is  of  equal  importance,  we 
need  to  be  taught  the  value  of  the  word  mutual.  The 
extremes  of  society  receive  more  than  their  share  of  the 
world's  attention.  For  the  poor  in  pocket,  in  mind,  in 
spirit,  much  is  done;  the  rich  in  purse  and  intellect  do 
much  for  themselves;  the  average  woman  is  neglected. 
Her  we  desire  and  aim  to  reach.  It  is  the  average 
woman  whose  time  is  occupied  in  household  duties,  who 
needs  an  outside  force  to  pull  her  out  of  her  rut  on  the 
broader  way  of  life.  She  has  never  done  anything  out- 
side of  her  home,  not  because  she  did  not  want  to  do 
anything;  but  because  she  had  not  time  to  do  much,  she 
has  done  nothing.  Prove  to  her  the  possibilities  for  hap- 
piness to  herself  and  others  of  her  wasted  half  hours, 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  249 

and  one  round  has  been  climbed  on  Jacob's  ladder.  Show 
to  the  individual  the  resources  within  himself.  Wake 
what  lies  dormant.  Rouse  the  desire  to  do.  Provide  an 
outlet  for  the  new-born  energy.  Then  through  the  indi- 
vidual, you  have  leavened  the  mass. 

It  is  not  easy  to  overcome  the  obstacles  which  custom 
puts  in  the  way  of  any  new  movement;  it  is  well  to  parry 
her  weapons  in  advance.  Therefore,  it  is  well  to  answer 
in  advance  some  questions  of  protest:  (i)  Is  organization 
necessary  at  all  ?  (2)  Cannot,  are  not  individuals  doing 
as  well  ?  It  is  a  narrow  and  uninformed  mind  that  asks 
these  questions.  I  have  tried  to  prove  that  it  is  more  than 
justified;  that  it  is  demanded  for  man's  prorgess.  Indi- 
viduals, individual  societies  are  doing  good  work,  a  larger 
organization  can  do  more  work,  better  work,  quicker 
work. 

Again,  we  are  in  a  time  of  transition  and  turmoil,  new 
forces  have  been  awakened,  and  are  boiling  beneath  the 
surface.  Among  these  is  Woman.  And  the  question 
arises:  Will  wider  organization  not  take  her  away  from 
her  place  in  the  home  ?  Is  not  the  separation  of  women 
from  men  in  work  a  disorganizing  tendency?  Is  it  not 
a  step  on  the  return  to  chaos  and  night,  instead  of  toward 
harmony  and  light  ?  Should  not  this  great  danger  be 
stamped  out  in  its  incipiency  ?  Is  it  not  separation  instead 
of  union?  Are  not  men's  interests  and  women's  alike? 
Are  not  the  interests  of  Jewish  men  and  women  alike, 
and  the  same  as  those  of  other  men  and  women  ?  Why, 
then,  if  they  organize  at  all,  should  they  organize  sepa- 
rately ? 

Certainly  their  interests  are  alike.  No  Jewish  woman 
has  any  interest  apart  from  any  Jewish  man,  no  man  from 
any  woman,  no  human  being  from  any  other  human 
being.  But  the  recognition  and  understanding  of  these 
interests  are  not  always  equally  clear  to  both;  sometimes 


250  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

it  is  the  man  who  sees  the  way  more  clearly,  sometimes 
it  is  the  woman  whose  spiritual  eye  discerns  through  the 
mist  and  cloud  the  steep  and  narrow  path  which  must 
be  followed.  Whichever  thus  discerns  and  acts  is  doing 
the  right;  thought  and  discernment  alone  never  accom- 
plished much  in  this  world,  but  thought  and  action 
together,  whether  combined  in  one  or  many.  I  repeat, 
whichever  discerns  and  acts,  takes  the  first  step,  is  justi- 
fied by  the  purpose  in  the  step — nay  more — should  and 
must  take  that  step,  and  go  on  until  the  correctness  of 
vision  is  proved  or  disproved. 

It  will  not  take  her  away  from  the  home.  That  place 
will  and  must  remain  first  and  most  sacred  to  her. 
When,  in  the  economy  of  the  globe,  an  allwise  Creator 
made  male  and  female,  and  assigned  them  varied  func- 
tions and  duties,  this  variety  of  function  and  duty 
became  a  law  of  being,  and  no  advance  of  civilization 
can  change  these  functions  nor  abrogate  these  duties. 
The  lines  of  their  duties  may,  nay,  do  run  parallel,  but 
can  never  converge.  No  two  beings  are  constituted 
exactly  alike,  their  tendencies  are  different;  similarly, 
men  and  women  differ,  only  in  greater  degree.  This 
fact  must  never  be  lost  from  sight.  Circumstances  may 
so  modify  these  tendencies  and  aptitudes,  heredity, 
training,  and  what  not,  may  so  modify  them,  that  the 
work  produced  by  individual  men  and  women  may  be 
the  same,  but  for  the  majority,  the  fields  of  labor  will 
always  be  separated.  Open  wide  as  you  will  the  door 
into  these  fields,  the  law  of  nature  will  keep  each  in  his 
just  and  proper  sphere,  and  will  no  more  allow  men  and 
women  to  rush  into  them  equally,  than  it  will  ever  allow 
individuals  or  men  and  women  to  become  mere  inter- 
changeable units  in  the  mass  of  humankind.  Granting, 
then,  that  their  lines  of  work  and  duty  run  parallel,  the 
goal  they  are  trying  to  reach  is  not  a  point,  but  a  broad. 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  251 

high  plane.  The  lines  run  so  close  together  that  they 
influence  each  other's  motion,  sometimes  faster,  some- 
times slower,  each  responds  to  each.  What  does  it 
matter  which  changes  place  or  direction  so  long  as  it 
leads  to  the  goal,  and  the  movement  of  one  means  the 
speedy  answering  movement  of  the  other — means  soon 
a  joint  movement  of  both  ?  It  is  differentiation  for  the 
sake  of  a  higher  union.  Therefore  are  women  justified 
in  organizing  separately.  They  act  with  men  where 
men's  insight  and  justice  allow  them  so  to  act.  But 
where  they  are  excluded  from  regions  whither  the  law 
of  their  nature  sends  them,  they  are  banding  together 
in  solid  phalanx  to  conquer  what  is  refused  their  neces- 
sity; they  are  but  hastening  the  time  when  men  and 
women  will  know  that  before  they  are  men  and  women 
they  are  human  beings,  and  as  such,  each  will  follow 
the  special  law  of  his  being  first — then  speak  and  act 
and  work  together  where  they  may.  But  are  Jews  justi- 
fied in  acting  separately  ? 

Jews  are  justified  in  organizing  because  environment, 
heredity,  social  conditions  and  prejudice  within  as  much 
as  without  their  ranks  sweep  before  their  doors  an  accu- 
mulation of  material,  through  which  it  is  their  duty  to 
cut  a  way  to  the  great  green  common  and  the  invigorat- 
ing air  of  the  eternal  heights  of  true  freedom;  free  and 
healthy  development  and  intercourse  of  head,  hand  and 
heart,  of  mind  and  soul. 

As  men  and  women  we  should  and  must  and  do  take 
interest  and  action  in  all  that  concerns  men  and  women; 
but  as  Jews,  holding  fast  to  one  great  faith,  certain  prob- 
lems are  forced  upon  us  to  be  solved  which  present 
themselves  to  no  one  else — certain  circumstances  and 
conditions,  certain  privileges  and  duties,  certain  aptitudes 
and  powers  are  ours,  and  therefore  certain  work  lies 
before  us,  peculiarly  our  own,  demanding  our  first 


252  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

attention.  Do  you  still  ask,  Are  Jewish  women  justi- 
fied in  acting  separately  ?  Does  it  need  additional  proof? 
We  all  grant  that  there  is  work  to  do.  Do  Jewish  men 
see  it  and  refuse  or  neglect  to  act,  or  do  they  not  see  the 
great  needs  of  the  times  ?  Do  women  see  them  ?  Then 
let  them  act  at  once.  The  men  will  soon  follow  and 
join  us. 

Do  some  claim  that  organization  will  separate  us  more 
from  the  world  ?  I  answer,  It  will  not.  We  must  look 
facts  in  the  face.  We  are  separated  from  the  rest  of 
mankind  by  barriers  which  must  be  broken  down,  broken 
by  forces  from  within  and  forces  from  without.  An 
organization  can  and  will  but  hasten  and  help  to  raze 
this  wall  about  us.  It  will  separate  us  no  more  than 
heart  and  hand  are  separated  because  they  are  not  doing 
the  same  thing.  We  are  all  members  of  that  great 
organization  of  which  the  all-pervading  Spirit  of  the 
universe  is  head,  which  works  for  truth  and  justice  and 
righteousness.  And  we,  by  working  under  its  guidance, 
not  for  the  Jews  alone,  but  for  the  elevation  and  progress 
of  mankind,  will  join  hands  with  those  outside  the  wall, 
whose  end  and  aim  are  one  with  ours,  and  through  our 
combined  efforts  the  wall  will  be  undermined,  and  must 
fall. 

It  is  maintained  that  an  organization  must  have  a 
definite  purpose.  I  can  see  looming  up  in  the  distance 
purposes  in  plenty,  beckoning  with  fingers  of  golden 
light. 

First  and  foremost,  let  one  purpose  be,  to  study  the 
causes  and  conditions  of  this  so-called  separation;  let  us 
learn  to  know  ourselves;  then  to  knowledge  let  us  add 
discernment  and  disinterestedness  that  we  may  find  the 
best  and  quickest  way  to  obliterate  dividing  lines.  Let 
us  study  our  history  and  our  literature,  and  their  bearing 
on  our  character  and  position.  Religion,  true  religion, 


ORGANIZATION— AMERICAN.  253 

with  which  every  thought  and  action  are  connected,  is 
in  woman's  hand,  because  the  inward  life,  the  home,  is 
what  she  makes  it;  therefore,  it  is  eminently  fit  that  from 
her  should  come  the  impulse  to  study  more  closely  the 
underlying  principles  of  her  religion.  Let  us  look  into 
their  very  heart  in  order  that  we  may  know  exactly 
where  we  stand,  that  we  may  know  them  in  every  phase 
of  their  development.  Let  each  and  every  one  among 
us  know  that  they  make  us  one  with  all  the  world,  that 
they  hold  the  springs  of  all  moral  life,  the  living  germ 
of  all  morality.  Let  us  learn,  that  all  may  judge  intelli- 
gently, that  we  may  cling  to  the  old  faith,  not  because 
we  were  born  into  it,  but  because  we  are  convinced  that 
for  us  it  is  the  only  possible  belief  or  act.  Let  us  encour- 
age a  deeper  study  of  that  book,  our  book,  which  has 
been  the  bread  of  life  to  half  the  civilized  world,  because 
it  contained  the  story  of  the  eternal  springs  of  action  of 
men,  the  records  of  nobility  of  soul  and  character,  of 
faith  and  patience,  integrity  and  bravery  and  high  truth, 
those  things  which  command  men's  admiration  and  emu- 
lation through  all  time. 

The  Jew  of  the  Ghetto  was  cut  off  from  almost  every- 
thing but  his  religion;  he  made  of  that,  almost  exclu- 
sively, his  study,  his  inspiration,  his  joy.  The  high 
walls  of  the  Ghetto  thrown  down,  the  burst  of  sunlight 
proved  too  much  for  his  unaccustomed  eyes.  His  sight 
was  dazzled,  blurred.  In  the  endeavor  to  reach  the 
many  enticing  objects  disclosed  to  his  view,  he  lost  his 
hold  on  the  old  joys;  they  looked  different  to  him  now 
from  what  they  had  looked  in  the  dim  Ghetto  light.  His 
well-known  love  of  learning  caused  him  to  rush  to  the 
new  founts  to  drink  and  to  neglect  the  old  springs  of 
inspiration.  Two  things  have  resulted — the  one  a  party 
clinging  to  the  old  forms,  many  now  grown  meaningless, 
lest  in  losing  the  form,  the  spirit  too  should  escape;  the 


254  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

other  sinking  slowly  but  surely  from  indifference  through 
apathy  into  a  heavy  sleep,  akin  to  death.  Let  us  blow 
the  trumpet  whose  magnetic  tones  shall  waken  to  new 
life  and  joy  and  gladness  the  beautiful,  slumbering  spirit 
of  Judaism.  Let  us  prove  that  ours  is  a  progressive 
religion,  whose  liquid  character  molds  itself  to  every 
form  that  time  or  change  can  produce.  Jews  associated 
in  bondage  have  carried  their  principle  high  and  unsul- 
lied through  Cimmerian  gloom;  now  let  us  show  what 
Jews  associated  in  freedom  will  do. 

Having  studied  our  history,  our  literature,  our  re- 
ligion, let  us  apply  our  knowledge  for  the  progress  of 
the  world.  Our  Sabbath  Schools  need  attention.  Let 
us  make  of  them  not  mere  religious  schools  for  children, 
but  schools  for  the  study  of  religion  in  its  broadest 
sense.  Let  the  magic  armor  of  knowledge  there  gained 
shield  our  faith  against  the  sword  strokes  of  secular 
learning. 

A  second  purpose  shall  be  the  study  of  our  social 
conditions  and  relations,  to  study  our  own  needs  and  the 
needs  of  those  less  fortunate  than  ourselves;  and  having 
studied,  to  supply  them.  Let  us  grind  the  ax  which 
shall  free  those  bound  by  the  shackles  of  ignorance  and 
circumstance. 

A  wide  territory  lies  before  us  in  the  immigrants 
whom  Russian  persecution  is  forcing  to  our  shores.  So 
accustomed  are  we  to  our  freedom  that  we  scarcely 
realize  the  shock,  which  contact  with  our  own  free  air 
must  be  to  them.  It  dazes  or  intoxicates  them.  These 
people  brought  up  where  every  man's  hand  is  against 
them,  and  therefore  theirs  against  every  man,  need  our 
help  to  keep  them  sane.  We  and  we  alone  can  raise 
them,  because  experience  has  taught  them  to  distrust  all 
who  do  not  hold  to  their  faith,  causes  them  often  to 
refuse  aid  proffered  with  the  noblest  intention,  because 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  255 

they  fear  the  iron  hand  in  the  velvet  glove.  To  bend 
every  effort  to  lift  them  out  of  their  slough  of  suspicion 
and  prejudice  and  meanness  should  be  our  desire,  is  our 
duty.  Freedom,  possession,  carries  with  it  obligations; 
if  we  do  not  fulfil  these  obligations,  the  penalty  will 
come  upon  us  none  the  less  because  our  sins  are  sins 
of  omission,  not  of  commission.  In  order  to  fulfil  our 
duty  to  these  unfortunates  who  suffer  torture,  exile, 
death  for  their  convictions,  we  must  understand  them. 
Their  standards  are  not  our  standards,  their  ways  are 
not  our  ways,  and  only  by  close  contact,  study  and 
attention,  can  we  get  that  insight  into  the  "  not  our  own," 
which  is  the  condition  of  useful  and  effectual  work. 

If  our  watchword  be  not  charity,  which  has  come  to 
be  almost  synonymous  with  alms,  and  leaves  a  sting 
behind,  but  Philanthropy — love  of  our  fellows,  the 
sympathy  which  holds  healing  balm  for  all  our  wounds, 
and  in  whose  wake  follows  a  doubled  happiness,  numer- 
ous luminous  ways  to  do  our  duty  will  open  to  us. 

It  shall  be  our  purpose,  not  to  increase  the  number  of 
existing  institutions  to  their  detriment,  drawing  nour- 
ishment from  the  old  and  worthy  to  the  new,  thus  crip- 
pling both,  but  to  concentrate,  organize  and  aid  those 
deserving  with  our  might,  to  plant  new  ideas  in  them, 
and  to  start  new  institutions  where  there  is  a  crying 
need  for  them.  In  doing  this,  it  shall  be  our  business 
to  further  and  emphasize  so-called  preventive  work,  it 
shall  be  ours  to  proclaim  to  all,  the  truth  which  the 
popular  mind  has  crystallized  into  the  homely  proverb, 
"  An  ounce  of  prevention  is  worth  a  pound  of  cure." 

Do  we  need  a  Jewish  organization  for  this  ?  No;  and 
yes.  No,  for  there  are  chances  plenty  for  us  to  study 
this  fine  ship  moving  in  the  social  horizon.  Yes,  because 
we  and  we  alone  can  show  it  to  many  whose  line  of 
vision  is  too  short  or  too  narrow  to  behold  it. 


256  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

It  shall  be  our  purpose  and  our  pleasure  to  preach  the 
gospel  of  recreation — re-creation  to  all  who  need  to  hear; 
to  the  unenlightened  of  every  age  and  condition,  that 
they  may  know  that  all  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a 
dull  boy,  but  worse,  that  all  play  and  no  work  makes 
Jack  an  evil  boy;  that  each  may  know  the  meaning  of 
rest — not  sleep,  which  induces  heaviness  and  dullness, 
but  change  of  occupation,  which  brings  into  play  the 
faculties  that  have  lain  idle,  which  induces  rounded 
growth,  adds  skill  and  quickness  to  mind  and  hand, 
raises  the  tide  of  life,  keeps  the  spirits  high,  brings 
brightness  to  the  eye,  smiles  to  the  face  and  lightness  to 
the  soul. 

"  Man  cannot  live  by  bread  alone."  The  toiler  needs 
to  be  led  to  the  enjoyment  of  his  mental  faculties;  he 
whose  life  is  spent  amid  the  practical,  the  material,  the 
sordid,  must  have  his  thoughts  turned  to  the  ideal — 
music,  reading,  pleasant  converse  should  be  brought  to 
the  doors  of  all  workers.  But  quite  as  needful  is  it  for 
the  idler  to  know  that  only  by  contact  with  the  worker, 
for  the  dreamer  to  know  that  only  by  grasping  the  real, 
can  full  happiness  or  rounded  character  be  attained. 

We  cannot  too  much  or  too  deeply  contemplate  the 
ideal,  for  only  the  marriage  of  the  ideal  with  the  prac- 
tical, produces  the  wealth  of  the  world  and  adds  to  it. 
From  the  perfect  blending  of  the  two,  results  the  noblest 
character;  while  according  as  one  or  the  other  prevails, 
it  is  great  or  little.  To  begin  to  satisfy  ideal  wants 
tends  to  their  realization;  for  it  is  a  law  of  nature  that 
they  propagate  themselves;  they  hold  within  themselves 
an  inexhaustible  fount  of  reproduction,  while  sensual 
wants  cloy  with  satisfaction,  and  feed  on  their  own 
energy  to  annihilation. 

It  shall  be  our  purpose  to  do  the  work  of  education  in 
its  broadest  sense — to  lead  forth  to  the  day  and  to 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  257 

activity  whatever  of  ability  we  in  our  search  can  find; 
to  make  it  like  the  wind  carrying  the  germs  of  growth 
and  beautiful  blossoming  where'er  it  touches;  to  teach 
the  obligation  of  possession,  the  duty  and  value  of  per- 
sonal service.  Bring  forth  those  who  have  energy  or 
talent  or  enthusiasm  or  power  of  expression  to  move 
men's  souls,  and  a  new  force  which  will  eternally  per- 
sist for  good  has  been  quickened  into  life. 

It  shall  be  first  and  above  all  our  purpose  to  create  an 
exchange,  where  all  thinking  women  in  Israel,  standing 
on  the  common  ground  of  their  religious  convictions, 
shall  meet  and  enjoy  each  other's  uncommon  ideas  and 
aims  and  plans,  whence  such  ideas  and  plans  and  pro- 
jects may  be  sent  on  a  journey  of  success,  impelled  by 
the  unfailing  force  of  thinking,  active  women  banded 
together  to  forward  the  cause  of  progress  and  social  re- 
form. Its  meetings  shall  give  free  scope  to  the  power 
that  lies  in  the  human  voice  and  countenance,  to  the  free 
and  full  personal  contact  which  generates  the  electric 
spark  of  interest,  of  enthusiasm,  of  accomplishment; 
shall  make  place  for  and  give  free  play  to  the  exercise 
of  that  potent  quality  which  we  call  personal  magnet- 
ism, which  draws  adherents  for  a  cause  as  the  magnet 
does  iron;  shall  encourage  and  sow  the  seed  of  that 
noble  friendship  and  fellowship  which  will  be  a  potent 
factor  to  obliterate  all  trace  of  the  ignoble  prejudice  of 
class  and  caste  which,  we  must  sadly  admit,  exists  even 
among  ourselves.  Such  meetings  can  accomplish  more 
in  one  day  than  can  be  done  in  months  of  work  apart; 
can  make  of  an  idea  a  propaganda,  which  any  amount 
of  writing  or  reading  might  be  powerless  to  do. 

Friends,  a  great  opportunity  is  ours.  Let  us  under- 
stand it.  Let  us  live  up  to  it.  Others  have  died  for 
Judaism;  let  us  live  for  it — a  harder  task.  There  is 
indifference  in  our  ranks,  there  is  narrowness,  there  is 


258  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

ignorance  within  and  without  them.  Let  us  apply  the 
torch  of  knowledge  and  enthusiasm  to  them.  We  may 
encounter  opposition,  tradition  will  plant  itself  in  our 
path,  apathy  will  drag  our  feet.  Let  them  be  burned 
away  by  our  ardor.  On  the  wings  of  a  mighty  purpose 
let  us  soar  above  and  beyond  them  all  and  every  obstacle. 
This  Congress  has  given  us  pleasure,  has  given  us  mental 
and  spiritual  profit,  has  cemented  friendships,  has  opened 
our  hearts  to  new  joys — let  them  live  again  and  yet 
again,  gathering  beauty  as  they  grow,  leaving  beauty  and 
perfume  and  efflorescence  in  their  path.  The  Congress 
has  clarified  for  us  things  that  were  dull  or  blurred.  Let 
it  not  be  like  a  meteor  in  the  sky,  leaving  no  trace  be- 
hind. We  are  in  the  labyrinth  of  a  transition  period. 
Let  the  Congress  be  the  thread  to  lead  us  out  of  it.  We 
are  in  the  throes  of  doubt.  Let  us  prove  they  are  not 
the  precursors  of  disintegration  but  of  re-adaptation,  of 
a  new  birth.  On  the  bridge  of  the  Congress,  let  us  walk 
from  the  dead  level  of  growing  apathy  to  the  beautiful 
rising  slope,  to  sunlit  heights  of  fire  and  activity.  The 
time  no  longer  shouts  in  the  ear  of  the  Jew,  "Thou 
shalt  not !  "  but  "  Thou  shalt !  "  Let  us  be  the  first  to 
obey  its  thundering  summons.  Let  us  be  the  first  to  do 
and  to  dare.  Let  us  understand  and  fulfil  our  duty,  our 
responsibility.  By  organized  work  alone  can  we  do 
this.  Our  individual  efforts  are  but  as  tiny  rivulets 
making  oases  in  the  desert,  then  losing  themselves  in 
the  sand;  they  can  be,  if  we  will,  a  mighty  river,  to  make 
the  desert  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose,  transforming 
the  wilderness  into  a  garden  of  delight.  Not  again  may 
we  have  together  so  many  women  from  all  parts  of  our 
country,  drawn  hither  for  the  purpose  of  representing 
Judaism  at  its  best.  Let  us  strike  while  the  iron  is  hot 
Let  us  form  an  organization  whose  object  shall  be  the 
spreading  the  understanding  of  and  devotion  to  the 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  259 

highest  type  of  Judaism,  in  whose  service  shall  be  put 
every  faculty  of  our  being.  Let  us  prove  that  it  is 
synonymous  witli  the  highest  type  of  man;  that  in  serv- 
ing Judaism,  we  are  but  doing  our  part  with  system, 
sense  and  insight  toward  bringing  about  that  religion 
which  shall  be  neither  Jewish  nor  Christian,  but  human, 
humane,  divine,  which  shall  be  known  by  no  name  but 
that  of  the  Religion  of  Humanity,  God's  own  religion. 
It  behooves  us  above  all  others  to  teach  the  beautiful 
and  eternal  truth  of  interdependence  and  unity,  to  teach 
that  not  the  smallest  act  or  thought  of  one  of  us,  a  drop 
in  the  ocean  of  humanity,  but  the  waves  carry  to  every 
other  drop,  to  every  grain  of  sand  that  touches  on  its 
shores.  Let  our  actions  cover  its  surface  with  a  glow- 
ing phosphorescence  surrounding  the  ship  of  life. 

Our  heritage  is  a  vineyard,  a  royal  vintage  lies  buried 
there.  With  the  spade  of  organization  let  us  stir  the 
earth,  and  put  new  mould  to  the  roots,  that  it  may  bring 
forth  an  hundredfold. 

We  need  united  effort,  mutual  approach,  extension  of 
intercourse — let  us  form  an  organization  which  shall 
make  this  possible;  an  organization  whose  platform 
shall  be  so  broad,  that  all,  of  whatever  age  or  condition, 
of  whatever  shade  of  belief,  or  opinion,  can  walk  thereon 
in  noble  fellowship;  whose  purpose  shall  be  a  stimulus 
and  stimulant,  a  constant  source  of  heat  and  motion  and 
activity;  whose  meetings  shall  give  full  and  free  expres- 
sion to  the  thoughts,  desires,  needs  and  plans  of  our 
age;  its  bond  of  union  shall  annihilate  space  and  time, 
shall  create  a  sentiment  to  be  contented  only  by  the  best 
there  is,  a  sentiment  which  will  bring  in  its  train  demand 
and  satisfaction.  It  shall  concentrate  our  energies,  make 
our  strength  as  the  strength  of  the  oak  to  stand  and  the 
willow  to  bend  before  the  storm;  it  shall  make  way  for 
hidden  talents,  and  apply  them,  shall  insure  full  and 


260  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

rounded  growth,  shall  turn  the  light  of  truth  into  the  dark- 
ness, and  prove  that  we  are  one  with  the  aims  and  ideals 
of  the  world,  that  the  exceptional  among  us  is  but  the 
stronger  expression  of  the  average.  L,et  us  be  pioneers, 
working  with  hand  and  heart  and  head  and  voice  and 
purse,  unfurling  to  the  wind  the  banner  on  which  is 
graven:  "  Know  thyself — learn  and  propagate  the  best 
there  is."  But  let  there  be  no  misunderstanding.  It  is 
not  learning  we  must  seek  for  its  own  sake,  erudition 
in  and  for  itself  we  are  not  seeking,  but  knowledge 
which  shall  enable  us  to  satisfy  those  higher  needs, 
which  transform  life  from  mere  existence  to  joy  and 
gladness  and  beauty.  It  is  not  our  intention  to  rush 
into  wild  projects  of  reform.  No  Utopian  schemes  of 
immediate  regeneration  are  seething  in  our  brains.  But 
only  to  do  what  we  feel  our  force,  our  capacit)',  our 
principles  make  possible  for  us  to  do;  only  to  place 
within  the  grasp  of  those  who  may  be  tied  to  the  tread- 
mill of  daily  work  those  highest  ideals  toward  which, 
from  the  best  that  is  in  us,  there  is  a  constant  stream. 

But  it  is  the  nature  of  ideals  never  to  be  reached. 
They  are  the  stars  in  the  nightly  firmament.  Yet, 
"  Hitch  your  wagon  to  a  star;"  not  that  you  may  lie 
down  in  listless  inactivity — if  you  do,  the  star  will  take 
you  to  the  zenith,  'tis  true,  but  only  to  plunge  you  on  its 
downward  course  into  darkness  and  night.  No;  hitch 
your  wagon  to  a  star  that  your  eyes  and  hands  and  mind 
may  be  left  free  to  gather  energy  in  your  flight  through 
time,  that  when  you  reach  the  zenith  you  may  have 
force  to  leave  the  star  behind,  and  continue  on  your 
upward  journey  to  heights  no  star  can  reach,  which  can 
be  attained  only  by  the  human  soul  striving  for  the 
highest 

Then  let  us  marry  the  practical  with  the  ideal,  that 
it  may  produce  wealth,  mental,  moral,  spiritual.  Let 


ORGANIZATION — AMERICAN.  261 

our  ambition  be  unlimited,  our  enthusiasm  infinite; 
when  it  comes  to  practical  work,  let  no  prospect  of 
trouble  or  sacrifice  make  our  hands  fall  in  despair,  but 
let  us  remember  that  in  union  is  strength  to  do  and  to 
bear.  Let  us  not  dissipate  our  forces  by  overtaxing 
individual  effort,  but  shoulder  to  shoulder  let  us  climb 
one  step  at  a  time,  slowly  and  surely.  The  time  is  ripe; 
isolated  movements  show  it;  but  it  is  not  isolated  acts, 
it  is  their  combined  and  blended  effect  which  tells  for 
eternity. 

Therefore,  oh,  friends,  let  not  this  plea  be  in  vain. 
Let  none  think  himself  small  or  insignificant.  Let  none 
wait,  but  each  help  to  give  momentum  to  this  impetus 
of  the  Congress.  Let  none  forget  that  we  may  be  a  power 
for  good,  and  we  will.  There  is  ignorance,  there  is 
prejudice  outside  our  ranks — no  words  can  conquer 
them.  We  must  conquer  them  by  our  deeds.  To  you 
who  are  apathetic  I  say,  "Awake  from  your  lethargy." 
To  you  who  are  interested,  enthusiastic,  I  say,  "  There 
is  work  to  do;  there  are  others  whom  you  must  interest." 
Remember,  "  There  never  was  a  great  or  commanding 
movement  in  the  annals  of  the  world  but  is  the  triumph 
of  enthusiasm."  Let  us  realize  the  vision  of  past  and 
future.  The  Congress  has  launched  this  ship  of  organi- 
zation; it  is  yours  to  propel  her  on  the  river  of  life. 
Equip  her  with  enthusiasm,  like  the  grand  ship  of  the 
Republic  in  the  MacMonnies  fountain  at  our  great 
World's  Fair.  Let  zeal,  earnestness,  courage  and  perse- 
verance, knowledge,  work,  faith  and  love  be  the  rowers 
to  send  her  on  her  way — high  to  the  fore  seat  the  radi- 
ant young  form  of  your  purpose,  with  her  straight,  strong 
back  of  an  iron  determination,  her  head  proudly  erect, 
in  her  hand  the  staff  of  dignity  and  power.  Place  the 
past  at  the  rudder;  from  the  prow  let  the  spirit  of  the 
future  trumpet  forth  the  glad  tidings  of  the  coming  of 


262  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

this  new  splendid  beauty  into  the  world.  High  above 
all  let  shine  the  sun  of  your  union.  Individual  efforts  are 
like  the  elemental  colors  of  the  dawn,  serving  to  make 
the  darkness  visible.  Let  your  organization  be  the  prism 
to  convert  them  into  that  pure,  brilliant,  piercing  white 
light  whose  shafts  alone  can  penetrate  and  divide  the 
gloom  of  ignorance  and  apathy  and  hostility,  like  the 
staff  of  Moses  at  the  Red  Sea,  an  undying  light  and 
glory,  which  shall  persist  for  truth  and  beauty  and  good- 
ness even  through  all  time. 


REPORT  OF  THE  BUSINESS  MEETING. 

After  the  reading  of  the  paper  on  Organization  by 
Miss  Sadie  American,  the  chairman  called  a  business 
meeting  to  consider  the  advisability  of  forming  a  per- 
manent organization,  and  to  transact  such  other  business 
as  might  be  necessary. 

The  following  resolutions  were  presented  by  Miss 
Julia  Richman,  of  New  York,  and  were  unanimously 
adopted.  To  wit: 

Whereas,  The  officers  and  members  of  the  general  com- 
mittee of  the  Jewish  Women's  Religious  Congress  have, 
by  their  earnest  and  untiring  efforts,  made  this  conven- 
tion so  brilliantly  successful,  and 

Whereas,  These  same  officers  and  members  have  so 
generously  extended  the  hand  of  friendship  as  well  as 
that  of  courteous  hospitality  to  the  visiting  essayists  and 
delegates,  and 

WJiereas,  These  visiting  essayists  and  delegates  recog- 
nize, and  thoroughly  and  gratefully  appreciate  the  hearti- 
ness of  their  welcome  and  entertainment,  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  visiting  essayists  and  delegates  offer 
a  cordial  vote  of  thanks  to  the  chairman  and  the  mem- 
bers of  the  general  committee  for  their  zeal  and  labor  in 
organizing  the  Congress,  and  for  the  warm-hearted  recep- 
tion tendered  to  those  invited  to  participate  in  the  Con- 
gress; and  be  it  furthermore 

Resolved,  That,  in  recognition  of  this  and  other  obliga- 
tions, the  visiting  essayists  and  delegates  pledge  them- 
selves to  the  support  of  any  permanent  organization, 
which  shall  be  the  outgrowth  of  this  Congress. 

(263) 


264  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Upon  motion  it  was  unanimously  decided  to  publish 
the  entire  proceedings  of  the  Congress. 

The  chairman  appointed  as  the  committee  on  publica- 
tion: 

Miss  Richman,  of  New  York,  chairman. 

Mrs.  H.  Frank,  of  Chicago. 

Mrs.  C.  S.  Benjamin,  of  Denver 

Miss  Cohen,  of  Philadelphia. 

Miss  Szold,  of  Baltimore. 

Miss  Richman  then  offered  the  following  resolution, 
which  was  seconded: 

Whereas,  It  is  desirable  that  the  zeal,  energy,  and 
loyalty  to  the  cause  of  Judaism  which  have  been  evinced 
by  the  Jewish  women  of  America  in  the  preparations  for 
and  the  discharge  of  the  duties  connected  with  this  Con- 
gress be  turned  to  permanent  good;  and 

Whereas,  This  is  an  opportune  time  to  establish  closer 
bonds  to  draw  together  the  Jewish  women  of  America; 
therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  this  Congress  resolve  itself  into  a  per- 
manent organization  to  be  known  as  the  Jewish  Women's 
Union,  for  the  purpose  of  teaching  all  Jewish  women 
their  obligations  to  the  Jewish  religion. 

Mrs.  Rosenberg,  of  Allegheny,  offered  an  amendment 
changing  the  name  to  "  Columbian  Union."  Seconded; 
lost. 

The  original  resolution  was  then  presented,  and  after 
the  expression  of  opinion  that  the  platform  outlined 
therein  was  too  narrow,  it  was  lost. 

Miss  American,  of  Chicago,  then  presented  the  follow- 
ing resolution: 

Resolved,  That  we,  Jewish  women,  sincerely  believing 
that  a  closer  fellowship  will  be  encouraged,  a  closer 
unity  of  thought  and  sympathy  and  purpose,  and  a 
nobler  accomplishment  will  result  from  a  widespread 


REPORT  OF  THE  BUSINESS  MEETING.  265 

organization,  do  therefore  band  ourselves  together  in  a 
union  of  workers  to  further  the  best  and  highest  interests 
of  Judaism  and  humanity,  and  do  call  ourselves  the 
"  National  Council  of  Jewish  Women." 

Seconded  and  adopted. 

It  was  then  moved  and  seconded  that  the  chairman 
appoint  a  committee  to  draw  up  resolutions  denning  the 
objects  of  the  new  organization.  Carried. 

The  chairman  thereupon  appointed: 

Mrs.  Minnie  D.  Louis,  of  New  York; 

Mrs.  Henrietta  G.  Frank,  of  Chicago; 

Miss  Witkowsky,  of  Chicago; 

Miss  American,  of  Chicago. 

The  committee  retired  to  deliberate,  and  during  its 
absence  letters  of  encouragement  were  read  from  Dr.  S. 
Morais,  of  Philadelphia;  Mrs.  Nina  Morais  Cohen,  of 
Minneapolis;  Mrs.  J.  Steinem,  of  Toledo,  Ohio,  and  the 
following  from  Mrs.  Palmer: 

My  Dear  Madam: — I  beg  to  express  to  the  Jewish 
Women's  Congress  my  sincere  appreciation  of  their  great 
kindness  in  presenting  me  with  the  beautiful  souvenir, 
recently  received  through  your  committee. 

I  also  desire  to  extend  my  cordial  thanks  for  their 
words  of  appreciation  and  interest  in  our  work,  and  to 
assure  you  that  it  is  very  pleasing  to  receive  this  evi- 
dence of  approval  from  the  women  of  our  country. 

I  beg  you  will  express  to  your  committee  and  to  the 
women  of  your  Congress  my  renewed  thanks  for  their 
kindness,  and  with  best  wishes  for  the  success  of  your 
Congress  and  kind  regards  to  yourself,  I  am, 
Very  sincerely  yours, 

BERTHA  HONORE  PALMER, 

Pres't,  B.  L.  M. 

MRS.  HENRY  SOLOMON, 

Chairman  Committee  of  Jewish  Women's  Congress. 


266  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

Dr.  E.  G.  Hirsh  spoke  urging  the  women  on  to 
active  work. 

Mrs.  Harris  moved  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to 
the  ladies  of  the  Jewish  Women's  Committee.  Seconded 
and  carried. 

It  was  moved  and  seconded  that  the  full  proceed- 
ings of  this  Congress  be  published  in  pamphlet  form. 
Carried. 

Mrs.  Moyer,  of  Buffalo,  moved  that  a  committee  be 
appointed  to  draft  resolutions  of  gratitude  and  appre- 
ciation to  be  presented  to  Mrs.  H.  Solomon,  Chairman 
of  the  Committee. 

(Mrs.  Fanny  Adler  was  called  to  the  chair  during  the 
consideration  of  this  motion.)  The  motion  was  sec- 
onded and  carried,  and  the  following  committee  ap- 
pointed: 

Mrs.  Moyer,  Buffalo. 

Mrs.  Barbe,  Chicago. 

Mrs.  Wolf,  Chicago. 

Mrs.  Solomon  thanked  the  women  of  Chicago  for 
their  hearty  co-operation  in  making  the  Jewish  Women's 
Congress  a  success. 

Mrs.  Seelig  expressed  gratitude  to  the  essayists  for 
their  work,  and  moved  a  vote  of  thanks  to  them.  Sec- 
onded and  carried. 

It  was  moved  and  seconded  that  a  vote  of  thanks  be 
tendered  Mrs.  Chas.  Henrotin,  Vice-President  of  the 
Auxiliary,  for  the  interest  shown  in  the  work.  Carried. 

The  committee  appointed  to  draft  resolutions  setting 
forth  the  objects  of  the  National  Council  of  Jewish 
Women,  then  reported,  through  its  chairman,  Mrs. 
Louis. 

The  following  resolution  was  presented  and  adopted: 

Resolved,  That  the  National  Council  of  Jewish 
Women  shall  (i)  seek  to  unite  in  closer  relation  women 


REPORT  OF  THE  BUSINESS  MEETING.  267 

interested  in  the  work  of  Religion,  Philanthropy  and 
Education  and  shall  consider  practical  means  of  solving 
problems  in  these  fields;  shall  (2)  organize  and  encourage 
the  study  of  the  underlying  principles  of  Judaism;  the  his- 
tory, literature  and  customs  of  the  Jews,  and  their  bear- 
ing on  their  own  and  the  world's  history;  shall  (3)  apply 
knowledge  gained  in  this  study  to  the  improvement  of 
the  Sabbath  Schools,  and  in  the  work  of  social  reform; 
shall  (4)  secure  the  interest  and  aid  of  influential  persons 
in  arousing  the  general  sentiment  against  religious  per- 
secutions, wherever,  whenever,  and  against  whomever 
shown,  and  in  finding  means  to  prevent  such  persecutions. 

A  motion  was  then  made,  seconded  and  carried,  that 
the  meeting  proceed  to  the  election  of  officers. 

Mrs.  H.  Solomon  was  nominated  for  President,  and 
elected  by  acclamation  in  a  rising  vote. 

It  was  moved  and  seconded  that  there  be  one  Vice- 
President  for  each  State  in  the  Union.  Carried. 

The  following  ladies  were  then  nominated  and  elected: 

Mrs.  Babette  Mandel  for  Illinois. 

Mrs.  Julia  K.  Simpson  for  New  York. 

Mrs.  Carrie  S.  Benjamin  for  Colorado. 

Miss  Goldie  Bamber  for  Massachusetts. 

Mrs.  Pauline  H.  Rosenberg  for  Pennsylvania. 

It  was  moved  and  seconded  that  the  President  be 
empowered  to  appoint  the  other  Vice-Presidents. 
Carried. 

Miss  Sadie  American  was  nominated  as  Corresponding 
Secretary,  and  elected  by  acclamation. 

Mrs.  Sadie  Leopold,  Miss  Felsenthal,  and  Mrs.  L.  J. 
Wolf  were  nominated  for  Recording  Secretary.  Mrs. 
Leopold  and  Miss  Felsenthal  withdrew  in  favor  of  Mrs. 
Wolf,  who  was  then  elected  unanimously. 

Mrs.  J.  Harry  Seelig  was  nominated  and  elected  as 
Treasurer. 


268  JEWISH  WOMEN'S  CONGRESS. 

It  was  moved  and  seconded  that  a  Board  of  Directors 
be  appointed  by  the  President.  Carried. 

It  was  moved  and  seconded  that,  as  soon  as  may  be, 
a  Constitution  be  drafted,  and  that  a  copy,  with  a  circu- 
lar setting  forth  the  desirability  of  organizing,  be  sent 
through  the  land.  Carried. 

It  was  moved  and  seconded  that  the  proceedings  of 
Wednesday  evening  be  printed,  and  sent  to  Secretary 
of  State  Gresham.  Carried. 

Miss  Ray  Frank,  of  Oakland,  then  offered  a  prayer, 
after  which  the  Chairman  declared  the  Congress 
adjourned. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Introduction  by  the  Chairman.  Hannah  G.  Solomon 3 

Programme  of  the  Congress 6 

Prayer.  Ray  Frank 8 

Address.  Ellen  M.  Henrotin 9 

Address  by  the  Chairman.  Hannah  G.  Solomon 10 

White  Day  of  Peace.  Miriam  del  Banco 13 

Jewish  Women  of  Biblical  and  of  Mediaeval  Times.  Louise 

Mannheimer 15 

Jewish  Women  of  Modern  Days.  Helen  Kahn  Weil 26 

Discussion  by  Henrietta  G.  Frank 43 

Woman  in  the  Synagogue.  Ray  Frank 52 

Influence  of  the  Discovery  of  America  on  the  Jews.  Pauline 

H.  Rosenberg 66 

Discussion  by  Esther  Witkowsky 74 

by  Mary  Newbury  Adams 77 

Women  Wage-Workers:    with    Reference  to  Directing    Immi- 
grants.   Julia  Richman 91 

Discussion  by  Sadie  G.  Leopold 108 

The  Influence  of  the  Jewish  Religion  on  the  Home.     Mary  M. 

Cohen , 115 

Discussion  by  Julia  I.  Felsenthal 122 

Israel  to  the  World  in  Greeting.     Cora  Wilburn 129 

Charity  as  Taught  by  the  Mosaic  Law.     Eva  L.  Stern 133 

Woman's  Place  in  Charitable  Work:   What  it  is  and  what  it 

should  be.     Carrie  Shevelson  Benjamin 145 

Discussion  by  Goldie  Bamber J57 

by  R.  W.  Navra 163 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Address  by  the  Chairman.    Hannah  G.  Solomon 166 

Presentation  of  Hymn  Book.     E.  Frank 168 

Mission  Work  among  the  Unenlightened  Jews.      Minnie  D. 

Louis 170 

Discussion  by  Rebekah  Kohut 187 

How  can  Nations  be  Influenced  to  Protest  or  Interfere  in  Cases 

of  Persecution  ?    Laura  Davis  Jacobson 196 

Discussion  by  Lillie  Hirshfield 210 

Letter  by  George  Kennan 216 

Organization.    Sadie  American 218 

Report  of  the  Business  Meeting 263 


PUBLICATIONS 


of  the 


Jewish  Publication  Society  of  America. 


Outlines  of  Jewish  History.    From  the  Return  from  Babylon  to  the 

Present  Time.     By  Lady  Magnus.     (Revised  by  M.  Friedlander.) 
Think  and  Thank.     By  Samuel  W.  Cooper. 
Rabbi  and  Priest.     By  Milton  Goldsmith. 
The   Persecution   of  the  Jews   In    Russia.     Voegele's   Marriage 

and  other  Tales.     By  Louis  Schnabel. 
Children  of  the  Ghetto:     Being   Pictures  of  a  Peculiar  People. 

By  I.  Zangwill. 

Some  Jewish  Women.     By  Henry  Zirndorf. 
Sabbath  Hours — Thoughts.     By  Liebman  Adler. 
History  of  the  Jews.     By  Professor  H.  Graetz. 
Vol.      I.  From  the  Earliest  Period  to  the  Death  of  Simon  the  Maccabee 

(135  B.  C.  E .). 
Vol.    II.  From  the  Reign  of  Hyrcanus  to  the  Completion  of  the  Babylonian 

Talmud  (500  C.  E.). 

Vol.  III.  From  the  Completion  of  the  Babylonian  Talmud  to  the  Banish- 
ment of  the  Jews  from  England  (1290  C.  E.). 


DUES.  S3  PER  ANNUM. 


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The  Jewish  Publication  Society  of  America, 

1O15    ARCH   STREET, 

o.  BOX  iio4.  PHILADELPHIA.  PA. 


OUTLINES  OF  JEWISH  HISTORY. 

From  the  Return  from  Babylon  to  the  Present 
Time,  1890. 

With  Three  Maps,  •  Frontispiece  and  Chronological  Tables. 

By  LADY  MAGNUS. 

REVISED  BY  M.  FRIEDLANDER,  PH.  D. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

The  entire  work  is  one  of  great  interest ;  it  is  written  with  moderation,  and  yet  with  a 
fine  enthusiasm  for  the  great  race  which  is  set  before  the  reader's  mind. — Atlantic  Monthly. 

We  doubt  whether  there  is  in  the  English  language  a  better  sketch  of  Jewish  history. 
The  Jewish  Publication  Society  is  to  be  congratulated  on  the  successful  opening  of  iis 
career.  Such  a  movement,  so  auspiciously  begun,  deserves  the  hearty  support  of  the  public. 
—Nation  (New  York). 

Of  universal  historical  interest. — Philadelphia  Ledger. 

Compresses  much  in  simple  language. — Baltimore  Sun. 

Though  full  of  sympathy  for  her  own  people,  it  is  not  without  a  singular  value  for 
readers  whose  religious  belief  differs  from  that  of  the  author. — New  York  Timet. 

One  of  the  clearest  and  most  compact  works  of  its  class  produced  in  modern  times. — 
New  York  Sun. 

The  Jewish  Publication  Society  of  America  has  not  only  conferred  a  favor  upon  all 
young  Hebrews,  but  also  upon  all  Gentiles  who  desire  to  see  the  Jew  as  he  appears  to 
himself. — Boiton  Herald. 

We  know  of  no  single-volume  history  which  gives  a  better  idea  of  the  remarkable  part 
played  by  the  Jews  in  ancient  and  modern  history. — San  Francisco  Chronicle. 

A  succinct,  well-written  history  of  a  wonderful  race. — Buffalo  Courier. 

The  best  hand-book  of  Jewish  history  that  readers  of  any  class  can  find. — New  York 
Htrald. 

A  convenient  and  attractive  hand-book  of  Jewish  history.—  Cleveland  Plain  Dealer. 

The  work  is  an  admirable  one,  and  as  a  manual  of  Jewish  history  it  may  be  commended 
to  persons  of  every  race  and  creed.— Philadelphia  Times.  ' 

Altogether  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  another  book  on  this  subject  containing  so  much 
information. — American  (Philadelphia). 

Lady  Magnus'  book  is  a  valuable  addition  to  the  store-house  of  literature  that  we 
already  have  about  the  }vn*.— Charleston  (S.  C.)  News. 

We  should  like  to  see  this  volume  in  the  library  of  every  school  in  the  State.— Albany 
Argus. 

A  succinct,  helpful  portrayal  of  Jewish  history.— Boston  Post. 


Bound  in  Cloth.  Price,  postpaid,  $1.35- 


"THINK  AND  THANK." 

A  Tale  for  the  Young,  Narrating  in  Romantic  Form  the 
Boyhood  of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore. 

WITH  SIX  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

BY  SAMUEL  W.  COOPER. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

A  graphic  and  interesting  story,  full  of  incident  and  adventure,  with  an  admirable  spirit 
attending  it  consonant  with  the  kindly  and  sweet,  though  courageous  and  energetic  temper 
of  the  distinguished  philanthropist. — American  (Philadelphia). 

THINK  AND  THANK  is  a  most  useful  corrective  to  race  prejudice.  It  is  also 
deeply  interesting  as  a  biographical  sketch  of  a  distinguished  Englishman.— Philadelphia 
Ledger. 

A  fine  book  for  boys  of  any  class  to  read. — Public  Opinion  (Washington). 

It  will  have  especial  interest  for  the  boys  of  his  race,  but  all  school  boys  can  well  afford 
to  read  it  and  profit  by  it. — Albany  Evening  Journal. 

Told  simply  and  well. — New  York  Sun. 

An  excellent  story  for  children. — Indianapolis  Journal. 

The  old  as  well  as  the  young  may  learn  a  lesson  from  it  —Jewish  Exponent. 

It  is  a  thrilling  story  exceedingly  well  told. — American  Israelite. 

The  book  is  written  in  a  plain,  simple  style,  and  is  well  adapted  for  Sunday-school 
libraries.— Jewish  Spectator. 

It  is  one  of  the  very  few  books  in  the  English  language  which  can  be  placed  in  the 
hands  of  a  Jewish  boy  with  the  assurance  of  arousing  and  maintaining  his  interest. — 
Htbrtw  Journal. 

Intended  for  the  young,  but  may  well  be  read  by  their  elders. — Detroit  Free  Press. 
Bright  and  attractive  reading.— Philadelphia  Press. 

THINK  AND  THANK  will  please  boys,  and  it  will  be  found  popular  in  Sunday- 
school  libraries. — New  York  Herald. 

The  story  is  a  beautiful  one,  and  gives  a  clear  insight  into  the  circumstances,  the 
training  and  the  motives  that  gave  impulse  and  energy  to  the  life-work  of  the  great  philan- 
thropist.— Kansas  City  Times. 

We  should  be  glad  to  know  that  this  little  book  has  a  large  circulation  among  Gentiles 
as  well  as  among  the  "  chosen  people."  It  has  no  trace  of  religious  bigotry  about  it,  and 
its  perusal  cannot  but  serve  to  make  Christian  and  Jew  better  known  to  each  other. — 
Philadelphia  Telegraph. 


Bound  in  Cloth.  Price,  postpaid,  750. 


RABBI  AND  PRIEST. 

A.   STORY. 
By  MILTON  GOLDSMITH. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE   PRESS. 

The  author  has  attempted  to  depict  faithfully  the  customs  and  practices 
of  the  Russian  people  and  government  in  connection  with  the  Jewish  popula- 
lation  of  that  country.  The  book  is  a  strong  and  well  written  story.  We 
read  and  suffer  with  the  sufferers. — Public  Opinion  (Washington,  D.  C.). 

Although  addressed  to  Jews,  with  an  appeal  to  them  to  seek  freedom 
and  peace  in  America,  it  ought  to  be  read  by  humane  people  of  all  races  and 
religions.  Mr.  Goldsmith  is  a  master  of  English,  and  his  pure  style  is  one  of 
the  real  pleasures  of  the  story. —Philadelphia  Bulletin, 

The  book  has  the  merit  of  being  well  written,  is  highly  entertaining,  and 
it  cannot  fail  to  prove  of  interest  to  all  who  may  want  to  acquaint  themselves 
in  the  matter  of  the  condition  of  affairs  that  has  recently  been  attracting  uni- 
versal attention. — San  Francisco  Call. 

RABBI  AND  PRIEST  has  genuine  worth,  and  is  entitled  to  a  rank  among  the 
foremost  of  its  class. — Minneapolis  Tribune. 

The  writer  tells  his  story  from  the  Jewish  standpoint,  and  tells  it  well. — 
St.  Louis  Republic. 

The  descriptions  of  life  in  Russia  are  vivid  and  add  greatly  to  the  charm 
of  the  book. — Buffalo  Courier. 

A  very  thrilling  story. — Charleston  (S.  C.)  News. 

Very  like  the  horrid  tales  that  come  from  unhappy  Russia. — New  Orleans 
Picayune. 

The  situations  are  dramatic ;  the  dialogue  is  spirited.— Jewish  Messenger 
(New  York). 

A  history  of  passing  events  in  an  interesting  form. — Jewish  Tidings 
(Rochester). 

RABBI  AND  PRIEST  will  appeal  to  the  sympathy  of  every  reader  in  its 
touching  simplicity  and  truthfulness.— Jewish  Spectator  (Memphis). 


Bound  in  Cloth.  Price,  postpaid,  $1.00. 


SISSIES,  iTo.  1. 


THE  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS  IN  RUSSIA. 


WITH  A  MAP,  SHOWING  THE  PALE  OF  JEWISH  SETTLEMENT. 

Also,  an  Appendix,  giving  an  Abridged  Summary  of  Laws,  Special 

and  Restrictive,  relating  to  the  Jews  in  Russia, 

brought  down  to  the  year  1890. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

The  pamphlet  is  full  of  facts,  and  will  inform  people  very  fully  in  regard 
to  the  basis  of  the  complaints  made  by  Jews  against  Russia.  We  hope  it  will 
be  very  widely  circulated. — Public  Opinion  (Washington,  D.  C.). 

The  laws  and  regulations  governing  Jews  in  Russia,  subjecting  them  to 
severe  oppression,  grievous  restrictions  and  systematic  persecution,  are  stated 
in  condensed  form  with  precise  references,  bespeaking  exactness  in  compila- 
tion and  in  presenting  the  case  of  these  unfortunate  people. — Galveston  News. 

This  pamphlet  supplies  information  that  is  much  in  demand,  and  which 
ought  to  be  generally  known  in  enlightened  countries. — Cincinnati  Com- 
mercial Gazette. 

Considering  the  present  agitation  upon  the  subject  it  is  a  very  timely 
publication. — New  Orleans  Picayune. 

It  is  undoubtedly  the  most  compact  and  thorough  presentation  of  the 
Russo-Jewish  question. — American  Israelite  (Cincinnati). 

Better  adapted  to  the  purpose  of  affording  an  adequate  knowledge  of  the 
issues  involved  in,  and  the  consequences  of,  the  present  great  crisis  in  the  affairs 
of  the  Jews  of  Russia,  than  reams  of  rhetoric. — Hebrew  Journal  (New  York). 


Paper.  Price,  postpaid,  250. 


iTo.  2. 


Voegele's  JHaffiage  and]  Other  Tales. 

By  LOUIS  SCHNABEL. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

A  series  of  nine  well-written  short  stories,  based  upon  love  and 
religion,  which  make  quite  interesting  reading. — Burlington  Hawk- 
eye, 

A  pamphlet  containing  several  sketches  full  of  high  moral 
principle,  and  of  quite  interesting  developments  of  simple  human 
emergencies. — Public  Opinion  (Washington,  D.  C.). 

Interesting  alike  to  Hebrew  and  Gentile. — Minneapolis  Tribune. 

In  addition  to  being  interesting,  is  written  with  a  purpose,  and 
carries  with  it  a  wholesome  lesson. — San  Francisco  Call. 

This  a  collection  of  brief  stories  of  Jewish  life,  some  of  which 
are  of  great  interest,  while  all  are  well  written. — Charleston  (S.  C.) 
News  and  Courier. 

This  little  volume  as  a  whole  is  curious  and  interesting,  aside 
from  its  claims  to  artistic  merit.—  American  Bookseller  (New  York). 

Short  tales  of  Jewish  life  under  the  oppressive  laws  of  Eastern 
Europe,  full  of  minute  detail.—  Book  News  (Philadelphia). 

Written  in  delightful  style,  somewhat  in  the  manner  of  Kompert 
and  Bernstein.  ...  To  many  the  booklet  will  be  a  welcome 
visitor  and  be  greatly  relished.— Menorah  Monthly  (New  York). 

These  stories  are  permeated  with  the  Jewish  spirit  which  is  charac- 
teristic of  all  Mr.  Schnabel's  works.—  American  Hebrew  (New  York). 


Paper.  Price,  postpaid,  age. 


CHILDREN  OF  THE  GHETTO. 

BEING 

PICTURES  OF  A  PECULIAR  PEOPLE. 


BY  I.  ZANGWILL. 


The  art  of  a  Hogarth  or  a  Cruikshank  could  not  have  made  types  of  character  stand 
out  with  greater  force  or  in  bolder  relief  than  has  the  pen  of  this  author. — Philadelphia 
Record. 

It  is  one  of  the  best  pictures  of  Jewish  life  and  thought  that  we  have  seen  since 
the  publication  of  "  Daniel  Deronda." — London  Pall  Mall  Gazette. 

This  book  is  not  a  mere  mechanical  photographic  reproduction  of  the  people  it  describes, 
but  a  glowing,  vivid  portrayal  of  them,  with  all  the  pulsating  sympathy  of  one  who  under- 
stands them,  their  thoughts  and  feelings,  with  all  the  picturesque  fidelity  of  the  artist  who 
appreciates  the  spiritual  significance  ot  that  which  he  seeks  to  delineate. — Hebrew  Journal. 

Its  sketches  of  character  have  the  highest  value.  .  .  .  Not  often  do  we  note  a  book 
to  fresh,  true  and  in  every  way  helpful.— Philadelphia  Evening  Telegraph. 

A  strong  and  remarkable  book.  It  is  not  easy  to  find  a  parallel  to  it.  We  do  not  know 
of  any  other  novel  which  deals  so  fully  and  so  authoritatively  with  Judaea  in  modern 
London. — Speaker  (London). 

Among  the  notable  productions  of  the  time.  .  .  .  All  that  is  here  protrayed  is 
unquestionable  truth.— -Jewish  Exponent  (Philadelphia). 

Many  of  the  pictures  will  be  recognized  at  once  by  those  who  have  visited  London  or 
are  at  all  familiar  with  the  life  of  that  city. — Detroit  Free  Press. 

It  is  a  succession  of  sharply-penned  realistic  portrayals. — Baltimore  American. 

The  study  of  this  romance  might  teach  many  what  is  the  Jew  in  the  humbler  sphere  of 
life— how  human  he  is,  and  how  much  he  resembles  his  Christian  brother. — New  York 
Times. 

A  marvelous  picture.  ...  so  real  that  we  feel  and  touch  and  shrink  from  its 
wretchedness,  its  squalor,  its  cruel  bigotry — and  yet,  the  while  acknowledging  and  bowing 
to  its  sublime  endurance,  its  splendid  arrogance  of  creed. — Hartford  Courant. 

The  pathetic  descriptions  and  witty  dialogue  so  skillfully  intermingled  clearly  prove  the 
author's  strength  as  a  reader  of  human  character. — Public  Opinion  (Washington,  D.  C  ). 

Mr.  Zangwill,  in  these  two  volumes,  carries  the  reader  through  a  panorama  which 
gradually  broadens  and  gives  a  very  clear  and  instructive  insight  into  this  remarkable 
people. — St.  Louis  Republic. 

The  book  is  without  doubt  one  of  the  most  notable  works  of  fiction  of  the  past  year, 
and  entitles  its  author  to  a  high  place  among  novelists. — New  Orleans  Times  Democrat. 

A  cyclopedia  of  London  Jewry,  cast  in  the  form  of  a  narrative. — Literary  World 
(Boston). 


TWO  VOLUMES. 
Bound  in  Cloth.  Price,  postpaid,  $2.50. 


SOME  JEWISH  WOMEN, 

—BY— 

HENRY  ZIRNDORF. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

Moral  purity,  nobility  of  soul,  self-sacrifice,  deep  affection  and  devotion, 
sorrow  and  happiness  all  enter  into  these  biographies,  and  the  interest  felt  in 
their  perusal  is  added  to  by  the  warmth  and  sympathy  which  the  author 
displays  and  by  his  cultured  and  vigorous  style  of  writing. — Philadelphia 
Record. 

His  methods  are  at  once  a  simplification  and  expansion  of  Josephus  and 
the  Talmud,  stories  simply  told,  faithful  presentation  of  the  virtues,  and  not 
infrequently  the  vices,  of  characters  sometimes  legendary,  generally  real. — 
New  York  World. 

The  lives  here  given  are  interesting  in  all  cases,  and  are  thrilling  in  some 
cases. — Public  Opinion  (Washington,  D.  C). 

The  volume  is  one  of  universal  historic  interest,  and  is  a  portrayal  of  the 
early  trials  of  Jewish  women. — Boston  Herald. 

Though  the  chapters  are  brief,  they  are  clearly  the  result  of  deep  and 
thorough  research  that  gives  the  modest  volume  an  historical  and  critical 
value. — Philadelphia  Times. 

It  is  an  altogether  creditable  undertaking  that  the  present  author  has  brought 
to  so  gratifying  a  close — the  silhouette  drawing  of  Biblical  female  character 
against  the  background  of  those  ancient  historic  times. — Minneapolis  Tribune. 

Henry  Zirndorf  ranks  high  as  a  student,  thinker  and  writer,  and  this  little 
book  will  go  far  to  encourage  the  study  of  Hebrew  literature. — Denver 

Republican. 

The  book  is  gracefully  written,  and  has  many  strong  touches  of  char- 
acterizations.—  Toledo  Blade. 

The  sketches  are  based  upon  available  history  and  are  written  in  clear 
narrative  style. — Galveston  News. 

Henry  Zirndrrf  has  done  a  piece  of  work  of  much  literary  excellence 
in  "SOME  JEWISH  WOMEN." — St.  Louis  Post- Dispatch. 

It  is  an  attractive  book  in  appearance  and  full  of  curious  biographical 
research. — Baltimore  Sun. 

The  writer  shows  careful  research  and  conscientiousness  in  making  his 
narratives  historically  correct  and  in  giving  to  each  heroine  her  just  due. — 
American  Israelite  (Cincinnati). 


Bound  in  Cloth,  Ornamental,  Gilt  Top.  Price,  postpaid,  $1.25. 


HISTORY  Op  THE  JEWS. 


PROFESSOR  H.  GRAETZ. 


Vol.      I.     From  the    Earliest   Period  to  the  Death  of   Simon  the 
Maccabee  (135  B.  C.  E.). 

Vol.    II.     From  the  Reign  of  Hyrcanus  to  the  Completion  of  the 
Babylonian  Talmud  (500  C.  E.). 

Vol.  III.     From  the  Completion  of  the   Babylonian  Talmud  to  the 
Banishment  of  the  Jews  from  England  (1290  C.  E.). 


OPINIONS  Of   THE  PRESS. 

Professor  Graetz's  History  is  universally  accepted  as  a  conscientious  and 
reliable  contribution  to  religious  literature. — Philadelphia  Telegraph. 

Aside  from  his  value  as  a  historian,  he  makes  his  pages  charming  by  all 
the  little  side-lights  and  illustrations  which  only  come  at  the  beck  of  genius. — 
Chicago  Inter-  Ocean. 

The  writer,  who  is  considered  by  far  the  greatest  of  Jewish  historians,  is 
the  pioneer  in  his  field  of  work — history  without  theology  or  polemics  .  .  . 
His  monumental  work  promises  to  be  the  standard  by  which  all  other  Jewish 
histories  are  to  be  measured  by  Jews  for  many  years  to  come. — Baltimore 
American. 

Whenever  the  subject  constrains  the  author  to  discuss  the  Christian 
religion,  he  is  animated  by  a  spirit  not  unworthy  of  the  philosophic  and  high- 
minded  hero  of  Lessing's  "  Nathan  the  Wise." — New  York  Sun. 

It  is  an  exhaustive  and  scholarly  work,  for  which  the  student  of  history  has 
reason  to  be  devoutly  thankful.  ...  It  will  be  welcomed  also  for  the 
writer's  excellent  style  and  for  the  almost  gossipy  way  in  which  he  turns  aside 
from  the  serious  narrative  to  illumine  his  pages  with  illustrative  descriptions  of 
life  and  scenery. — Detroit  Free  Press. 

One  of  the  striking  features  of  the  compilation  is  its  succinctness  and 
rapidity  of  narrative,  while  at  the  same  time  necessary  detail  is  not 
sacrificed. — Minneapolis  Tribune. 

Whatever  controversies  the  work  may  awaken,  of  its  noble  scholarship 
there  can  be  no  question. — Richmond  Dispatch. 

If  one  desires  to  study  the  history  of  the  Jewish  people  under  the  direc- 
tion of  a  scholar  and  pleasant  writer  who  is  in  sympathy  with  his  subject 
because  he  is  himself  a  Jew,  he  should  resort  to  the  volumes  of  Graetz. — 
Review  of  Reviews  (New  York). 


Bound  in  Cloth.          Price,  postpaid,  $3   per  volume. 


SABBATH  HOURS. 

THOUGHTS. 

"By    Liebman   Adler. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

Rabbi  Adler  was  a  man  of  strong  and  fertile  mind,  and  his  sermons  are  eminently 
readable. — Sunday  School  Times. 

As  one  turns  from  sermon  to  sermon,  he  gathers  a  wealth  of  precept,  which,  if  he 
would  practice,  he  would  make  both  himself  and  others  happier.  We  might  quote  from 
every  page  some  noble  utterance  or  sweet  thought  well  worthy  of  the  cherishing  by  either 
Jew  or  Christian.—  Richmond  Dispatch. 

The  topics  discussed  are  in  the  most  instances  practical  in  their  nature.  All  are 
instructive,  and  passages  of  rare  eloquence  are  of  frequent  occurrence. — San  Francisco  Call. 

The  sermons  are  simple  and  careful  studies,  sometimes  of  doctrine,  but  more  often  of 
teaching  and  precept. — Chicago  Times. 

He  combined  scholarly  attainment  with  practical  experience,  and  these  sermons  cover 
a  wide  range  of  subject.  Some  of  them  are  singularly  modern  in  tone. — Indianapolis 
News. 

They  are  modern  sermons,  dealing  with  the  problems  of  the  day,  and  convey  the  inter- 
pretation which  these  problems  should  receive  in  the  light  of  the  Old  Testament  history. 
— Boston  fftrald. 

While  this  book  is  not  without  interest  in  those  communities  where  there  is  no  scarcity 
of  religious  teaching  and  influence,  it  cannot  fail  to  be  particularly  so  in  those  communities 
where  there  is  but  little  Jewish  teaching. — Baltimore  American. 

The  sermons  are  thoughtful  and  earnest  in  tone  and  draw  many  forcible  and  pertinent 
lessons  from  the  Old  Testament  records. — Syracuse  Herald. 

They  are  saturated  with  Bible  lore,  but  every  incident  taken  from  the  Old  Testament  is 
made  to  illustrate  some  truth  in  modern  life. — San  Francisco  Chronicle. 

They  are  calm  and  conservative,  .  .  .  applicable  in  their  essential  meaning  to  the 
modern  religious  needs  of  Gentile  as  well  as  Jew.  In  style  they  are  eminently  clear  and 
direct. — Review  ef  Reviews  (New  York). 

Able,  forcible,  helpful  thoughts  upon  themes  most  essential  to  the  prosperity  of  the 
family,  society  and  the  state. — Public  Opinion  (Washington,  D.  C.)- 

They  form  a  volume  of  rare  value,  and  embody  lessons  of  signal  worth.  They  appeal 
to  earnest  and  intelligent  Jewish  homes,  both  in  spirit  and  aim. — Jewish  Messenger  (New 
York). 


Bound  in  Cloth.  Price,  postpaid,  $1.25. 


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